Heartburn
by Kieren
Summary: Seven years ago, Hinata Hyuuga broke up with Kiba Inuzuka and left her hometown of Wolfwater without an explanation. Now she's back, hoping to rekindle their romance. But the handsome Sheriff has sworn he won't allow her to touch his heart the way she once did before. KibaHina. AU. [Ficlet] [Please heed rating] [Completed]
1. I

_A/N:_ Happy boxing day! Here's a KibaHina ficlet that I spent about a week or so churning out and typing like a crazed maniac on my laptop. *w* I hope you guys will like this, truly. Please note the setting's AU, and I seemed to have conjured up a small town that employs Japanese and Western terms in one setting. Pardon the confusion, everyone. *w*)' I apologise in advance if you spot any errors (e.g. incomplete sentences) from this ficlet. *bows. Feel free to point them out!  
>Cover picture by: koknowha (tumblr)<p>

Age guide, in case you're confused:-  
><em>Kiba: 33<br>Shino: 33  
><em>_Hinata: 30  
><em>_Konohamaru, Moegi: 26  
><em>_Kurenai: 53_

_Warning_: Mature scenes abound, complete with graphic and explicit descriptions of certain scenarios. Please heed the rating (Mature)._  
>Disclaimer:<em> _Naruto_ and all characters of the manga/anime are created by Masashi Kishimoto. No profits are earned from this fanfiction in any way.

* * *

><p><em>Heartburn<em>

"Um Sheriff? Your grandmother's missing."

Not the best way to greet the Sheriff of Wolfwater on a chilly Friday morning, but Sgt. Konohamaru Sarutobi had to do his job.

Christ, this was one of the sucky things you had to deal with as a rookie in the Wolfwater Police Department - getting bossed around occasionally with menial tasks like paperwork and telling the Sheriff his 93-year-old grandma, who had a case of dementia, was missing.

Konohamaru gave Sheriff Kiba Inuzuka a little grimace and scratched the side of his head as he watched the older man stare right back at him through bloodshot eyes. The younger cop had the vague impression that his words were sluggishly sinking into the Sheriff's head.

"Jesus." Kiba murmured, closing his eyes and leaning back in his swivel chair.

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Anything I can help you with?" Konohamaru asked gingerly.

From the exhaustion lining Kiba's tanned face, the rumpled clothes and the dishevelled hair, he figured the boss had pulled an all-nighter with Deputy Sheriff Shino Aburame and a couple of inspectors. Konohamaru had heard from a fellow colleague that they had a series of vandalism cases two days ago that had yet to be solved and a break-in last night at the Mayor's house. The Sheriff himself probably had made a trip up to the classier neighbourhood yesterday night in order to pacify Mayor Hyuuga.

Konohamaru pulled a face when he realised the Sheriff had been on the graveyard shift two days ago and if his memory served him right, this was his third day. No wonder the man looked like _hell_. The extra shifts were already taking a toll on him, but the and the break-in at the Mayor's house had exacerbated the situation.

All the cops knew how uptight Hiashi Hyuuga was about security in Wolfwater. This was especially since the wealthy optometrist hadn't been in favour of Kiba being elected Sheriff when the previous Sheriff, Kurenai Yuuhi, stepped down. He had been one of the few people to object to the election of Kiba Inuzuka. Konohamaru had heard this on a grapevine and he was usually slow to make conclusions, but Hiashi Hyuuga seemed exactly the sort of man to do such a thing.

It wasn't surprising, since all the Sheriffs of Wolfwater had either been Hyuugas, Aburames or Inuzukas - the Hyuugas dominating the line-up more than the Aburames of Inuzukas. All three families were on cordial terms, but there was an underlying current of competitiveness that surfaced between the Hyuugas and Inuzukas even when the campaigns had yet to roll around. Perhaps it was because the Hyuugas prided themselves on their wealth, cold intelligence and shrewdness, whereas the Inuzukas were better known for their fierce instincts, physical stamina and ruggedness. Kurenai Yuuhi had been the only anomaly in the long line of Sheriffs. But she was damn good at what she did and one would have to be an idiot not to have the dark-haired woman as Sheriff.

"S'okay." Kiba told him, waving one hand and reaching for the telephone, his eyes bleary. The Inuzuka punched in several numbers while cradling the phone in the same hand and nodded at him. "I'm gonna call the mother and get on it. Just monitor the missing persons category for me, Kon."

Konohamaru grinned. "Sure Sheriff."

"Thanks." Kiba raised one hand lethargically and Konohamaru took it as a signal to leave the Sheriff's office.

Turning a corner, he almost bumped into Moegi Shitaya, a rookie who'd graduated from police academy the same year as him. "Hey Konohamaru," She greeted, her eyebrows knit together in a worrying look. "Did you hear?"

Konohamaru squinted at her. "Seriously? You're asking me that? I'm usually the last to receive gossip, Moegs."

Moegi waved one hand, as though to bat his comment away. Biting the inside of her cheek, she crossed her arms over her chest, a folder dangling from her fingertips.

"_Hinata'_s back," She murmured.

The both of them looked at each other. There was momentary silence, filled only by the ringing of the telephones and the sounds of keyboards being tapped on.

"Hinata, as in Hinata Hyuuga? The Sheriff's ex?"

"Yes."

"Does the Sheriff know?"

Moegi grimaced.

"To be honest? I'm not sure."

* * *

><p><em>I.<em>

_Here we are._

Hinata Hyuuga stepped out of her cream Honda and glanced around her surroundings, marvelling at the beautiful winter wonderland her childhood home had become. It looked as though someone up in the heavens had dumped an entire bucket of sugar frosting over the entire town of Wolfwater and left it as it is. Even the tall pine trees were dusted with a generous heaping of snow, their needle branches groaning beneath the weight of the white power. Thick blankets of snow concealed the roofs of magnificent bungalows and houses throughout her neighbourhood, as though trying to bury the outward opulence outsiders would be treated to when they drove past this part of Wolfwater.

Hinata inhaled deeply, relishing the bite of the cold weather and the chilly wind that whipped her scarf across her face. She closed her eyes and tried to stem the sudden tide of nostalgia running through her.

She was well and truly back in Wolfwater.

Opening her eyes again, Hinata stared at her family home, soaking in the familiar turns, angles and colours beneath the snow. She wanted just one glimpse. Just one look at her former home, and she would be gone. In the midst of her looking however, she heard someone calling out to her feebly.

Turning around quickly, the Hyuuga blinked in surprise when she saw a dark haired woman with distinctive crimson tattoos on her cheeks. She was slowly walking down the wet, icy sidewalk with a walking cane, her steps slow and deliberate.

A small gasp escaped her lips.

Hinata immediately hurried forward to Ashi Inuzuka, fearing that the elderly lady would slip and fall on her feet. She was only wearing a thick woollen sweater, pajama pants, and a pair of rubber slippers that didn't seem to be capable of keeping her feet warm.

"Grandma Ashi," She greeted in stunned surprise, reaching the woman in two strides. A funny ache was worming its way in her heart at the sight of the messy, shoulder length dark hair and dark eyes. It was so reminiscent of one Inuzuka she loved.

Clasping the wrinkled hands in her gloved one, Hinata immediately wrapped one arm around the woman's small shoulders. She wondered why Grandma Ashi didn't seemed surprised to see her... This was her first time seeing her grandson's ex-girlfriend in seven years after all.

"Oh Grandma Ashi, what are you doing out here in this cold weather?" Hinata asked, her forehead creasing in bewilderment. Her voice caught on the woman's name as it escaped her lips. It sounded foreign on her tongue, yet oddly nostalgic. Afterall, it was a term she had once used so familiarly before. It truly had been such a long time since she saw Grandma Ashi and greeted her as such.

"Well, what do you think I'm doing Hinata? Taking a walk of course! I haven't been out in years and I haven't had my dinner mind you! I'm sure Tsume forgot to feed me," She said in that slightly miffed, no-nonsense tone Grandma Ashi had always been associated with.

The elderly woman paused and peered out at Hinata from rheumy brown eyes ringed in a faint blue, a sure sign of cataract. Hinata blinked and stared down at her, her surprise mounting. Why, Grandma Ashi was behaving as though she'd last seen her just yesterday.

"I'm hungry. Perhaps you can offer me some biscuits, Hinata dear? Or milk?" She asked hopefully, suddenly looking childlike.

"Oh of course." Hinata said, slinging her shoulder purse on her right shoulder. Despite her decision not to set foot into her father's house, she found herself compromising with her own arrangement. "Come on in. You really shouldn't be out here in this weather. Tsume-san must be worried sick."

Hinata brought Grandma Ashi into her father's house. It still looked the same after she had spent seven years away from home, but her perception of it had changed. Physically, it was still the three-storeyed, modern detached house with white, brown and grey trimmings, plenty of windows and white curtains. There was also the expansive backyard and front lawn with the same lush landscaping her father had always favoured and sought to stand out from his neighbours' lawns.

To Hinata, the house was a box which held bittersweet memories for her. Too much had happened here. All the restraints and expectations... the pressure and reminders of who she was or was not.

Brushing aside such heavy thoughts, Hinata and her housekeeper, Mrs Nobuko, settled Grandma Ashi on the couch and wrapped her up in blankets and warmers. A bowl of warm oatmeal was brought before her but Grandma Ashi refused them, saying she wanted biscuits. Hinata had to coax her into eating the oatmeal, for the elderly woman had no teeth and it was impossible for her to munch on biscuits.

Due to the unexpected presence of Grandma Ashi in her home, Hinata only managed to exchange warm hugs and proper greetings with Mrs Nobuko only after they made sure Grandma Ashi was comfortably seated on the couch and had not sustained any injuries. Hinata promised the gregarious, fifty-something housekeeper that she would tell her all that had happened in the city and what she had made of herself.

"Oh you must," Mrs Nobuko sighed, laying one hand upon the other as they talked in the kitchen. "Look at you. You look so beautiful, so grown-up. And running your own optical store at that!"

"Hinata!" Grandma Ashi called from the living room. "Where are you, my dear future daughter-in-law?"

"Oh dear," Mrs Nobuko said, startled. "I think it's best if you phoned Tsume-san and tell her to come here to pick Grandma Ashi up."

Hinata swallowed and nodded, feeling her cheeks heat up at Tsume's name.

While feeding Grandma Ashi the oatmeal, Hinata had been bombarded with questions such as when was she coming over to the Inuzukas' for dinner, and when would she agree to marry her grandson?

With every word about Kiba Inuzuka that escaped Ashi Inuzuka's mouth, Hinata felt her stomach twisting and looping horribly, mimicking the crazy curves of a rollercoaster ride in an amusement park. Mrs Nobuko had quickly filled Hinata in on Grandma Ashi's condition when she saw the troubled expression on her face and the persistent flow of questions.

"The dear old lady has dementia you see. She still thinks you're dating Kiba." Mrs Nobuko whispered into Hinata's ear. The housekeeper gave her an uncomfortable look.

Hinata quickly surmised then and there that it would be pointless to tell the elderly lady that she and Kiba were no longer an item. The young, dark-haired woman could only nod in response to Grandma Ashi's questions, or pacify her with falsities that didn't make herself feel any better.

Mrs Nobuko patted Hinata's hand softly. "Would you like me to make the call, Hinata dear?"

"No, that's alright Mrs Nobuko." She drew in a deep breath. "I will."

She had returned to Wolfwater with a sole purpose, and Grandma Ashi had provided her with the opportunity to fulfill her goal before the year ended and her regrets accumulated.

She had returned to find Kiba Inuzuka and she would do so, no matter how much trepidation and hopelessness filled her heart.

Picking up her smartphone, she found the number to the Inuzukas' residence and took the plunge.

* * *

><p>Kiba pulled the Sheriff marked Dodge Challenger to a stop just outside the Hyuugas' residence for the second time in two days. He was out of the car and striding up the snow-covered lawn in three seconds before anyone could say Gramps. Barely registering that the woman who had once broken his heart now stood in its living room, he hit the doorbell with his finger and waited on the front porch, hands on his hips, body tensed, gaze expectant.<p>

When his mother had called him on his phone with news of Grandma Ashi, the last thing he expected to hear was that Hinata Hyuuga had found her. He'd been dumbfounded. For seven years he'd gone by without seeing her. Then she had to pop up with his grandmother in Wolfwater just like that.

His only concern was Grandma Ashi. He could deal with facing a woman from his past. He was sure of that. There had been more than enough time to get over the break -

The door opened.

Sheriff Kiba Inuzuka felt as though he had been hurtled back violently into the past when he was young, wildly foolish and twenty-six, and madly in love with the Mayor's gentle and beautiful daughter.

His pulse tripled and he froze as the blood drained from his face as he stared down into Hinata Hyuuga's face.

Somewhere along the way, Hinata at thirty, had grown even more stunning. He could only watch, half mesmerised, half stupefied, as gorgeous white eyes appraised him in equal surprise, apprehension and shy pleasure. Instead of waist-length hair, soft, chin-length curls now brushed her cheeks gently in a feminine yet fresh haircut.

Hinata was slightly taller than she had been in her early twenties, but she was still nowhere near his height. Even beneath that dark dress and white Peter Pan collar, her curves were still as impressive as ever, ripe and glorious, clearly a woman at her peak.

_God._ Kiba itched to haul her into his arms, shake her, and then kiss her senseless all at the same time. It was fire and ice, balance and chaos, pain and pleasure all at once, in his body, mind and heart. Of course, it didn't help that he was having a hard-on mere minutes after seeing her, right on her father's doorstep, even though she had once dumped him.

Stamping his arousal ruthlessly with the heel of an imaginary boot, he cleared his throat and straightened his spine, trying to remind himself that he was a bloody Sheriff and not a cop who was wet behind the ears.

"Hi," She said softly. Hinata's gentle murmur immediately triggered memories of soft whispers, humid nights and heated kisses in his junk of a car.

_Jesus, jesus._

"Hey." He rasped back. His entire body was tensed, his shoulders stiff and his feet frozen solid to the ground. "How you've been?"

"I'm fine," She replied, gazing into his eyes. "What about you?"

He lifted one shoulder and nodded. "I'm good."

"Good," She echoed, and it wasn't just silence and snowflakes that descended between them but the entire history of their relationship that hung over their heads and lingered like a spectre.

_Grandma Ashi, _he reminded himself.

"Grandma Ashi's in there?" He asked, gesturing past Hinata.

"Yes," Hinata said, blinking. "Yes." She repeated again, as though trying to remind herself what he was here for and what she was supposed to do. "Come on in please. I'm _so_ sorry to keep you on the porch."

She was ever so apologetic.

Kiba followed Hinata into the Mayor's house, past a living room that reeked of sophistication and plenty of cream and white furniture that wouldn't have survived a month in the Inuzuka household. Funny how he had been here a mere eight hours ago for a completely different reason, when Mayor Hyuuga had reported a break-in. The burglar had slipped in through a backdoor, bypassing the security alarm and left with a few art pieces. He wondered if Hinata was aware of the break-in. Then again, there was a chance she wasn't, since she had probably just arrived from the city.

He nodded quickly to Mrs Noboku, who greeted him warmly.

"Gramps," Kiba groaned when he saw her sitting in the couch, her small feet swinging as she hummed softly.

He didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry at the sight. Instead, he felt his jaw go slack as he stared at her. Kneeling in front of his grandmother, Kiba realised Grandma Ashi was swaddled in several blankets and someone had clearly pulled on thick socks for her. She looked so small... and contented and comfortable as hell in Mayor Hyuuga's couch.

"Kiba," Grandma Ashi said in surprise her eyebrows rising into her forehead, looking for all the world as though she belonged right there in the Hyuugas' posh living room. "Are you here to see Hinata?"

"Gramps." Kiba took one of her hands in his, his larger hand curling around her soft, wrinkled one. He adopted a placating tone, the sort that one would use with a kid. "Come on. Time to go back. Mum's waiting for you and she's worried as hell."

"But I just got here," Grandma Ashi said stubbornly, in her gravelly voice. "Hinata and I are going to watch _MASH_. Don't you dare tell me I'll have to skip my favourite show!"

Kiba inhaled. "Gramps. Look, we don't wanna impose on Mayor Hyuuga and Hinata, do we? Hinata's tired. She's driven a long way from the city and she needs to rest. Look, she's dead on her feet."

Grandma Ashi glanced over her shoulder. "No she doesn't." Then she smacked Kiba's head.

"Ow! Gramps!"

"You're lying, you naughty boy. And why are you wearing the Sheriff's badge? I must say, that's a very convincing uniform. Did you steal it from that wonderful ball-buster, Kurenai Yuuhi? She's our Sheriff, and you bloody well listen to the woman, Kiba." She shook her head, and gave him the evil eye as she arranged her blankets comfortably around her, her nose in the air. "_Ohh_, you mother will be _furious!_"

There was an odd choking sound from behind him. When Kiba turned to see where it had come from, he realised Hinata had been trying to muffle her laughter.

Holy cow, this was turning out to be one helluva day. He shot her a _help-me_ look and she immediately came forward with a shy, apologetic smile.

"Gramps," He said exasperatedly. "I _am_ the Sheriff. Come on, let's go. Akamaru misses you. He's been pining for you y'know? Don't you wanna see him?"

After much coaxing from Hinata, Kiba and Mrs Noboku, they finally managed to bundle Grandma Ashi in the front seat of Kiba's Dodge Challenger with a combination of cajoling and threats. Kiba doubted a hostage negotiator would have an easy time with his kick-ass gramps. Then again, she was an Inuzuka, so there were no surprises there.

"Thanks," Kiba said, standing in the middle of the driveway. He gazed down into Hinata's face.

"You're most welcome."

"I'm sorry about that, Hinata. I hope she didn't give you much trouble."

"Oh no, not at all." Hinata said at once, twisting her fingers nervously.

His eyes darted to them. Whenever she got nervous, Hinata tended to twist her fingers into all sorts of pretzels. He remembered how he'd grabbed the both of them and kissed her cold fingers, then warmed them up with his own hands one romantic winter they'd spent together.

His jaw clenched tightly. Kiba forced himself to glance away but it was too late.

She followed his line of sight and the atmosphere became charged with the turbulence of past memories and intimacies they had shared.

"I gotta go." He said, unable to recognise his low, dark voice. He cleared his throat and reached for the door to the driver's seat. "Thanks once again, Hinata."

"Wait Kiba-" She began suddenly.

He wondered if he had imagined that slightly panicked tone in her voice, but dismissed it as wishful thinking on his part.

Calmly, Kiba turned back to her. He had deliberately wiped his face free of expression. He would be damned if he showed her just how much he was affected by her very presence.

"I - I -" She paused and swallowed hard, as though trying to rearrange the words mentally in her head. "I would like to catch-up with you s-sometime soon," She stammered. Her cheeks were flushed red and there was a vulnerable sheen in her eyes, as though she knew the battle was lost even before she had begun her fight for it.

He didn't understand why she was doing this. He didn't understand why she had to break up with him when they had created something so wonderful and meaningful, something that few couples could seize. She had loved him. He knew that in the littlest of ways, when he caught her staring at him whenever she thought he wasn't looking, or the way she fought for them when her father had told her he disapproved of her relationship with him.

But, he reminded himself, she had initiated the breakup. To say that he had been devastated was an understatement.

_Get out of your mind shit, Inuzuka._

His throat tightened and he swallowed, but stared ahead unseeingly. He was his own man. He no longer needed to seek the approval of Hiashi Hyuuga to date his daughter, or to be elected Wolfwater County's Sheriff. He had stood firm against the stern, white-eyed mayor and his objections to his personal life and career and had incredibly, ridden out the storm.

The worst was over. Hinata nor Hiashi couldn't touch him now.

"Sorry." He said, shoving his hands into the deep trouser pockets. "I'm down for the count. There are just too many things going on right now, Hina." The nickname slipped out even before he realised what he had done.

They stared at each other, small white puffs of breaths exploding between them as the endearment lingered between them like an unwanted phantom.

"Yes." She said softly, with quiet resignation. Her eyes were thinly veiled with a sheen of tears, which she blinked away quickly. "Of course."

He tucked in his chin. "Goodbye."

"G-goodbye, Kiba."

Kiba wrenched open the Challenger's door. He paused just before he got into the driver's seat.

"Welcome back to Wolfwater, Hinata." He murmured quietly.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks!<em>


	2. II

Disclaimer: _Naruto_ and all characters of the manga/anime are created by Masashi Kishimoto. No profits are earned from this fanfiction in any way.

* * *

><p><em>II.<em>

Mrs Nobuko and Hinata watched in silence as Kiba's Challenger left the driveway. Grandma Ashi waved from the window, and they returned it enthusiastically for her benefit. As the car disappeared round the bend of the street, they turned to one another and appraised each other quietly, unspoken words and understanding lingering in the air.

"Did you know?" The housekeeper asked softly.

"That he became the Sheriff?" Hinata looked down unseeingly at a patch of snow on the ground.

"Um hm."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, I knew."

She felt Mrs Nobuko's fingers curl around her arm and squeeze it gently.

Patting the housekeeper's hand, Hinata attempted a smile. "If it's anyone's fault, it is mine."

"We always have a choice, my dear."

"Yes," Hinata replied softly and swallowed hard. _We do, don't we?_

The sight of Kiba had sent her emotions whirling, like sand and water and pebbles being shaken in a jar. She felt confused, bewildered and thrown off balance. Her emotions were too complex, too complicated for her to analyse now. At the forefront of all these feelings, she felt self-loathing and hopelessness. Where the Inuzuka's gorgeous, golden-brown eyes were once brimming with boyish mischievousness and good humour, it had turned cold and frozen when he laid eyes on her.

There was a painful, bittersweet ache in her chest. The kind that made her ache to place one hand over her left breast and press it, so that the pain and hurt would disappear. She had also been seized with a crazy desire to bury her face in his neck... then run her hands all over his chest and shoulders.

Kiba had come a long way from being the teen with the smart-aleck remarks, swagger and arrogant bravado all young men came equipped with while they were on the brink of adulthood. Hinata was well aware of that, more so now than before.

He was no boy.

He was a man.

Thirty-three to be exact. Thirty-three, handsome, responsible, gorgeous, easy-going and with a boyish charm the old ladies living on Yorkyew street couldn't resist, according to Kurenai. Despite his affinity with females of all ages, he was a man's man through and through.

When she'd seen him standing on their door, looking tall, dark and delicious, she had experienced the same terrible yearning she'd felt when she had been apart from him. This time however, it had been stronger. It had exploded to life. A dormant dragon returning from its long hibernation.

Despite the apparent exhaustion etched on his face, Kiba looked amazing. He had five o'clock shadow on his jaw and his muscular physique was barely contained in what seemed like standard Wolfwater Sheriff attire - navy blue shirt with its sleeves hastily rolled up past his elbows, a dark-brown tie, charcoal grey waistcoat with the six-point Sheriff's badge pinned to the left of his chest and coal grey trousers. He had grown larger, bigger and taller.

More handsome.

"Won't you stay?" Mrs Nobuko asked as Hinata slung her purse over her shoulder and slowly straightened her back.

Pulling on her gloves slowly, Hinata gave the housekeeper a small smile and murmured softly, "You know I can't, Mrs Nobuko."

The housekeeper's eyes dimmed and she bowed her head. Dabbing at her eyes with a crushed napkin in her hand, she sniffed a little. In all of Wolfwater, the housekeeper was the only one of two people who knew why Hiashi Hyuuga was estranged from his oldest daughter. The other, was Kurenai Yuuhi. Everyone assumed Hiashi had sent Hinata to the city to further her studies and to work for the optical empire the Hyuugas were renowned for, but the truth couldn't be further from that.

"Alright." She clasped Hinata's hand tightly. "Please - let me know if you need anything. Relay a message to your father, or sister, whatever that you need, I will be here."

Hinata nodded. A burning sensation beneath her eyelids threatened to blur her vision with unshed tears. When Mrs Nobuko folded her into her spindly arms, she let the tears fall, but blotted them away with her forearm when they broke away.

"Come now my dear. I may not know what happened between you and the Sheriff, but it's time for you to look forward. Look at you, you are so capable of taking care of yourself now, all grown-up and living your dream! Chin up, my dear."

Hinata gave her a watery smile and a nod.

XXXXX

Former Sheriff Kurenai Yuuhi was the last person on earth Hinata Hyuuga thought she would ever befriend and confide in, but in the past decade or so, that was what the woman had become. A confidante, a true friend, at times an equal and a mentor with the emotional capacity to advise Hinata and encourage her.

When Hinata was seventeen, she first met the dark-haired Sheriff at an extra-curricular school activity that imparted self-defence skills for teen girls. Kurenai had been their instructor. One lovely afternoon when class had ended earlier than usual, Hinata found herself confiding in the Sheriff about her father's expectations. From then on, she had frequently stayed in touch with Kurenai and met her for dinner or afternoon teas whenever the Sheriff was available. It was an odd friendship; A teen on the cusp of adulthood and an independent career woman didn't have much in common, but they soon bonded over a precious ability to understand where each of them stood in life.

Hinata could only turn to the woman she respected and loved as her own mother, and the next person closest to Kiba Inuzuka: Kurenai.

Hinata stood on the Sarutobis' front porch and knocked on the door to the lovely green and white house as snow fell lazily around her. She waited with giddy anticipation she hadn't felt in years, biting her lower lip and watching the door expectantly. The late morning sun hung in the sky and hid behind a thick coat of clouds, its rays practically non-existent. It was just slightly half past twelve. She was on time.

The door swung open. The scent of butter cookies and heat hit her like a warm, friendly blast of sunshine. Hinata caught an eyeful of dark curly hair, crimson eyes and before she knew it, strong, slender arms had embraced her in a tight hug that could only belong to Kurenai Yuuhi, now Mrs Asuma Sarutobi. A wave of genuine happiness surged through Hinata. She closed and eyes and relished in the hug, enjoying it for as long as she could, and tightening her own grip around Kurenai.

Although they had consistently kept in touch after Hinata's move, nothing could beat the physical embrace nor presence of Kurenai.

"My god." She heard Kurenai's signature husky voice whisper. "My god."

Pulling apart from Kurenai, Hinata felt a brilliant smile tugging at her lips and tears surging in her eyes. The former Sheriff still looked the same - beautiful but capable and independent, with the same no nonsense attitude and firm demeanour

"I assume those are tears of joy," Kurenai said perceptively with a radiant smile.

"Of course, Kurenai."

The lunch date they had agreed on took place at Akimichi's Diner, where his dinner specialty was barbecued meat. As it was way too early for their dinner specials, they settled for their equally sumptuous lunch specials. When the friendly teen waitress went away with their orders, Kurenai reached over and touched Hinata's hand.

She was about to say something, but her eyes dilated a fraction and her mouth froze in a round O when she glanced over Hinata's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked, trying to look over her shoulder.

"Oh this is such a lovely place, Kiba."

Kurenai fell silent as a feminine voice was heard over the merry tinkle of bells that hung at the door to the diner. Hinata sat still in her seat, not moving, not turning, just listening as cold wind blasted in and then died down just as the diner's door shut.

And then she heard him.

"Yeah, I've been here countless times. It's always good. I've known Chouji since we were in middle school, so - hey Kurenai!"

Kurenai's lips had turned up, but Hinata could tell the former Sheriff looked almost stricken.

"Hello Kiba, Kiyomi." Hinata heard Kurenai greet warmly.

Lifting her gaze, Hinata saw Kiba standing over their table with a pretty brunette by his side. She was very pretty, with large, gorgeous blue eyes and straight, silky dark hair that was gathered in a bun, with stray wisps framing her face. Next to Kiba's rugged frame, she looked positively doll-like and feminine, exactly the sort of female that men would rush to her aid at once. And they looked very good together, Hinata thought miserably.

There was no doubt about it. Kiba was on a date.

"Hi," Hinata felt a smile tipping her lips. Hanabi had once said she was far too polite for her own good and her little sister was actually right. No one would have guessed that Hinata was as drowning in a icy sea of misery on the inside, despite her warm smile.

"Lunch time for you?" Kurenai asked.

"Yeah." Kiba said. Hinata felt his gaze on her. When she lifted her eyes, she only glimpsed an unreadable expression on his face.

"Kiyomi, this is Hinata. Hinata, Kiyomi." Kiba said, gesturing at both of them.

Numbly, Hinata stood, shook hands with the pretty brunette and exchanged pleasantries. Kiba asked after Kurenai's daughter, Mirai, and her husband Asuma, who according to Kurenai, happened to be away on a geological expedition. Everything else was lost on Hinata.

"Sorry about that," Kurenai murmured when the couple was out of earshot and safely tucked away in a corner of the diner.

"Please don't say that," Hinata touched Kurenai's hand. "Neither you or I know they intended to come to Akimichi's."

Kurenai sighed and kneaded her forehead with her fingers, one elbow braced against the tabletop. "Hinata... Kiba's been seeing Kiyomi for the past few weeks."

Hinata fiddled with her napkin. "I see." She paused. "She's very pretty. And cheerful." Hinata murmured. "I truly hope he is happy."

Kurenai moved her glass of iced water in circles on the table.

"I'm not one to judge a person's relationship." The older woman replied softly. She contemplated the Hyuuga. "Hinata...do you still have feelings for him?"

Swallowing, Hinata licked her lips and looked into Kurenai's crimson eyes brimming with sympathy.

Her throat was parched and dry. Grasping her glass of water, she took a sip and stared at the rim. "I would be lying if I said I didn't." Hinata whispered. "But it is entirely my doing."

Kurenai gripped her hand. "Hinata. Why did you leave him?"

Hiashi had issued an ultimatum to Hinata shortly afterher twenty-third birthday: break-up with Kiba, leave Wolfwater and see him elected Sheriff, or stay and deny Kiba the chance to be Sheriff despite his excellent police academy record and tenure as a sergeant.

His track record was excellent. The only obstacle that stood between him and the post of Sheriff was the Mayor himself.

She knew that it was the Inuzuka's end goal to be Sheriff. A good handful of past Sheriffs had come from the Inuzuka family and she had seen how serious he was about the entire thing. She knew that to Kiba, it wasn't just a badge he could keep pinned on his chest, or the status he sought. Many people didn't know it but his dream went deeper than that, because it was in Kiba's very nature to protect and to lead.

Hinata also didn't doubt her father's threats for one second. He held enough sway as Mayor of Wolfwater to see that his threats would become a reality. It was underhanded and dirty but it was Hiashi's method of ensuring his daughters did as told. Unfortunately, it worked.

She had told no one about it, not even Kurenai. It was her own burden to bear and she didn't want to compromise the ultimatum by letting people in on it.

When Hinata left for the city, she had gone with the only comfort that Kiba's career would at least be secured. What she had never expected was for her father to go back on his word. He had reneged on his promise when Kurenai stepped down and the candidates for Sheriff were announced. That had been the last straw. She had visited Hiashi when he came to the city to see to the family's optical business and the meeting had soured when she asked him about his objections to Kiba's run for Sheriff.

"You went b-back on your word," She had confronted him, her voice a distinct tremble. "You told me you would s-support Kiba if I left Wolfwater. I kept my side of the promise, but you _didn't_." Her voice had risen as her anguish threatened to pulverize what little self control she had. She remembered the furious shaking that claimed her body, but her thoughts were clear and lucid and she refused to bow down to her father's whims.

Where she had once trembled and cowered beneath her father's temper, Hinata found strength in the fact that she had nothing important to lose. Not anymore.

"Kiba Inuzuka is not suitable." Came her father's curt reply. "The election of Sheriff is none of your business anymore, Hinata. Do no interfere with my affairs."

"It has got _everything_ to do with me." She said quietly, rage simmering below the trembling of her voice. "You will be sorely mistaken if you think I have forgotten about the u-ultimatum you issued me with. If you do not keep your word, I will return to Wolfwater, because there's no point in staying away from my home a-anymore if you don't have it in you to keep your promise."

Not even the sight of her father's thunderstruck face turned dark could deter her. Hiashi had threatened to disown her in the ensuing argument and Hinata had walked out on her father with a heart full of grim determination and sadness.

Her father had gone ahead to approve another candidate, but Kiba Inuzuka had overcome the odds and with the backing of several key figures in the county including Kurenai and the Deputy Mayor Tsunade Senju, he had been elected Sheriff. Hinata had received the news with mixed feelings. She felt part elation and part melancholia, wondering how her father and Kiba would reacted to the decision respectively. Hinata spent the next few days or so drowning in no man's land of emotions where she felt neither happy nor sad and at the same time, resigned to her fate.

Kiba's success gave her courage to pursue her dream of working in the publishing industry instead of the optical industry where her father expected her to step up to plate and to take over the reigns in the near future. With his cutting of ties and her decision to go her own way, she discovered a newfound freedom that was both terrifying and exciting at the same time. She had done what she wanted to and needed to, establishing herself as a capable employee at a renowned publishing firm she had once harboured the idea of working at.

Then Hanabi's appearance at her apartment stoop one day had her revisiting the idea of going back to Wolfwater. She had always toyed with it, but the time wasn't right then. She wanted to make something of herself before she faced her father and Kiba again.

"I saw what you did, and I did the same." Hanabi explained to her after Hinata had ushered her younger sister in upon finding her at her doorstep a few years back. "So I went against father's wishes for me to be an optometrist, I'm now a bloody sports physiologist."

Her younger sister also shared that she was currently seeing Konohamaru Sarutobi, a rookie cop with the Wolfwater Police Department, where he currently worked under Kiba.

"So far, Konohamaru says Kiba seems too busy to date," Hanabi had slipped in knowingly during their conversations whenever she visited Hinata or texted her. She had gently avoided speaking about him whenever her sister brought him up, but Hanabi's words left a deep impact on Hinata, because it meant that there was still _hope_, no matter how tiny that light was.

Deep in the recesses of her heart and mind, Hinata knew not a single man she met would be able to replace Kiba Inuzuka. She had deliberately tried to see some of them in a romantic light, but they had fallen short one way or other, until Hinata realised she wanted to fit them in the mould Kiba had left for her.

Conclusion?

Kiba had spoilt her for life.

"What?" Kurenai hissed. She tugged hard at Hinata's hand, her forehead creased sharply. "You broke up with him because of your dad?"

"Yes," Hinata whispered and nodded, her gaze dim. She was freezing on the inside despite the heater in the diner.

"Oh my god." Kurenai closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat of the booth. "Oh my god, Hinata."

"I knew he would do what he threatened to do if I didn't leave Kiba," Hinata said, leaning over the table, her gaze persistent. "I did what he wanted me to do, and _yet_ he reneged on his promise. I felt cheated. But- but the damage was already done." She traced a crack on the well-worn surface of the table with her index finger. "I didn't want to return and exacerbate the situation by angering my father and jeopardise Kiba's career."

She paused and continued reflectively, "I guess the blessing in disguise was that Kiba actually achieved everything on his own merit, despite my father's lack of support for his campaign."

She smiled sadly at Kurenai. "I am proud of him though. So very proud."

"I know Hiashi is your father, but to do that to his daughter-" She shook her head. "Hinata - listen. You _need_ to tell Kiba what happened."

She wrung her hands. "But... he's seeing Kiyomi. I don't want to spoil things for them."

"Hinata-"

"It would be horrible of me to come betwee-"

"_Hinata._" Kurenai's fingernails dug into her palms, prompting Hinata to look up. "As immoral as this sounds, a man really never belongs to another, until he marries. You have as much of a chance as _her_. Tell him, and let him decide for himself. Do _not_ decide for him, who he wants to be with. Kiba has a right to know."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks!<em>


	3. III

Disclaimer: _Naruto_ and all characters of the manga/anime are created by Masashi Kishimoto. No profits are earned from this fanfiction in any way.

* * *

><p><em>III.<em>

He was in over his head.

Exactly how, Kiba thought darkly, could a woman just waltz back into his life and provoke all sorts of feelings he long thought he had gotten rid of? How was it that Hinata _still _had such a claim over his feelings, moods and emotions, after seven years? He wanted so badly to crawl out of his skin and leave this mental turmoil behind him. The Inuzuka didn't have time for distraction at all.

"Jesus." He muttered, striding through the doors of the police station. He had just gotten off from his lunch date with Kiyomi and that little bump in with Kurenai and Hinata. The last thing he had expected was to see her there, but then again, it wasn't as though he didn't know she was in town...

The moment he saw Hinata's sagging shoulders and the tentative smile she had offered them, he had immediately been hit with the strangest desire to bail on the pretty boutique store owner.

He knew how it must have looked to anyone. Hell, it was what it was_ -_ a date. To be specific, it was their third date, and Kiyomi had actually given him a kiss on his cheek just after he dropped her off at her boutique.

He didn't need a dating expert to tell him that Kiyomi was interested in him.

_Unfortunately, you can't say that for yourself._

Scrubbing his face, he groaned inwardly. The kiss on his cheek was nice yeah, but it felt all sorts of wrong. It was pure instinct that made him want to move away from her descending lips, but he'd forced himself to be still as Kiyomi had leaned forward.

"Oof!" Something hit his chest.

"God, sorry Moegi," He said, steadying the auburn haired cop with one hand on her elbow. Apparently, he was turning into a walking disaster as well.

"No worries boss." Moegi replied, peering up at him. "Thank god I'm quick on my feet." She shot him a grin, but it disappeared as she scrutinised him carefully with her dark eyes. "You okay, Sheriff? You looked a little...dead."

He chuckled dryly. That was the word. "Yeah. I'll survive for now, and probably keel over later."

Moegi nodded and grinned. "Want some coffee? I was going to grab some from the vending machine."

"No. I'm good. Thanks for the offer though."

She suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh, um, Mayor Hyuuga is here. He wants to see you." She offered him something between a smile and a grimace.

Kiba exhaled and nodded. "I'll be with him shortly."

"Okay. He's in conference room three."

"Thanks Moegi."

"Anytime, Sheriff."

Kiba made his way to conference room three, nodding to several of his men as he stalked through his workplace. Straightening his leather jacket before he entered the conference room, Kiba half wondered sardonically if it was the season for getting reacquainted with the Hyuuga family. It was less than 24 hours, and he had already gotten reacquainted with the Mayor and his daughter.

Just in time for Christmas, he thought with dark humour. _Huh._

Kiba pushed opened the door.

"Mayor Hiashi," He said smoothly.

The tall man rose from his seat. One didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that Mayor Hiashi Hyuuga was the sort of men who disliked beating around the bush and the nuisance of making small talk. His physique itself spoke of his straightforwardness and business-like demeanour which he viewed the world. Mayor Hiashi was all straight lines and sharp edges, a man who clearly stood by his own views and principles and seldom wavered. His long dark hair was always pulled back from his high, fair forehead and tied neatly at the nape of his neck where it hung down his back in a straight line. A pair of deep-set white eyes, so unlike Hinata's warm ones, were cold and expressionless and his mouth was perpetually compressed into a stern horizontal line.

"Sheriff Inuzuka." Hiashi greeted him coolly. They shook hands, both their grips equally firm. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon. Please take a seat." Kiba replied, nodding at the swivel chairs he had occupied. "Can I get anything for you, Mayor? Tea? Coffee? Water?"

"No, thank you."

Kiba seated himself opposite Hiashi. He braced his forearms against the desktop laced his fingers together. "Unfortunately, we have yet to trace the culprit behind the break-in at your house. My team is working on it."

Hiashi nodded slowly. "Yes. And I appreciate the efforts your team have put in. But I'm not here about the break-in, Sheriff."

The hairs on the nape of Kiba's neck lifted. He felt his body go tense, his muscles stiffening beneath his clothes.

"I am here to apologise."

Cool white met startled brown.

"Yes, I _am_ here to apologise," Hiashi repeated stoically, as though he had read Kiba's non-verbalised incredulity.

"Why?" He asked hoarsely, after he had managed to move around his thickening tongue.

"You know partly why. I did not support your run for Sheriff, and I told you I believed you couldn't do much for our county. I was prejudiced against you from the very beginning."

"All men are entitled to their own opinions and views."

A slow smile cracked Hiashi's face. "Indeed. But I based my opinions on false assumptions of you and your background."

He continued when Kiba said nothing.

"I was not impressed by your less than illustrious background. A degree in criminal justice from a mediocre university, a family of small-town vets and some cops-"

"The fiftieth and fifth-third Sheriff were Inuzukas, Mayor."

"And the fifty-fifth as well," Hiashi responded, indicating Kiba, "But I stand by my view. I thought we were making a mistake when we elected you as Sheriff."

A small smile drifted across Kiba's lips. Hiashi Hyuuga certainly didn't beat about the bush.

"Nevertheless," Hiashi inhaled, his palms braced against his thighs. "Others saw something in you that I failed to see when you won the campaign took up the post of Sheriff. I was further proven wrong, when Deputy Mayor Tsunade reported a drastic decrease in general crime rates and the two main crimes of Wolfwater: drink-driving and pickpocketing. I was very impressed." Hiashi paused, and added, "I still am. Hence the apology."

He didn't need the Mayor's damned affirmation to know that he was doing a good job, but to hear Hiashi say this in person was akin to an early Christmas present. This was the icing on the cake. The tiny triumph against all the odds he'd faced when he made it his goal to become Sheriff and to serve the town. Acknowledgment and affirmation and confidence in his capabilities.

Kiba stared at Hiashi over the table. _Jesus_.

"Thank you for your vote of confidence." He replied. "Your resistance to my campaign for Sheriff pushed me to succeed, damn it. So no apology is necessary."

Lifting up a hand, Hiashi exhaled. "I have something else I need to apologise for."

Kiba glanced at him alertly. Two apologies from the Mayor in _one_ day?

"Seven years ago, I made my daughter choose between the man she loved and his career."

A chill ran down Kiba's spine and he froze in his seat. Would nothing ever be sane today?

"What the _hell_ do you mean?" He asked in a low voice.

"I told my eldest daughter that if she didn't break up with you and leave Wolfwater, your dreams of being Sheriff would forever be crushed. I would see to that and she knew I would do what I threatened to do. If she stayed with you, you would just be a lowly cop who wanted to run for Sheriff and I would not support you."

_Bastard, _Kiba dimly thought, as a tremor ran through his entire body.

"So she left," He said hoarsely.

"Yes." Hiashi murmured. "She left so that I would keep my word. But I did not."

"What do you mean?" Kiba snarled. Anger and fury thrummed through his veins like a dam overflowing with water. There was a strange ringing in his ears, a furious pounding in his head and an eerie calm that permeated his senses.

"She left you, but I didn't support your campaign as promised. Instead, I supported Ko Hyuuga. She confronted me about it, when I made a trip to the city, and after that, we never talked to each other again."

Clenching his fist, Kiba gritted his teeth and stared hard at the man opposite him. The Mayor's composure, his calmness and self-righteousness during the entire session, infuriated Kiba. How dare he, after what he had done?

And Hinata...

She left him so he could be Sheriff.

She'd done that for _him_. Left her hometown so he could fulfill his bloody dream.

Sweet, sweet Hinata.

"You fucking separated _us_." Kiba growled, anguish rushing through him, his tattooed cheeks flushed with mottled fury. "She didn't want to leave me at all. Is that right?"

Hiashi said nothing.

"I asked you a question, Mayor, and I expect to be _answered_!" He snarled with such ferocity, Hiashi's white eyes snapped to his in mild shock.

"Yes," The older man responded, looking tired and weary. "That is right. She did not want to leave you."

"Fuck." Kiba whispered harshly, trembling with emotion, his face drained of blood. "Why are you tell me this only _now_?"

Hiashi contemplated the question. "It was time to make amendments."

The Inuzuka shut his eyes. "After seven _goddamn_ years?" He was well aware that he had been swearing in front of the Mayor like a juvenile delinquent, but he honestly didn't give a damn one way or other. Given the circumstance, he reckoned he was at liberty to explode into a rage if he wanted to.

"I apologise." Hiashi slowly rose and bowed.

"Too late." Kiba said coldly, shoving his own chair back. "Your apology can't remedy the fact that you took away the woman I loved_, Mayor_, and you will do well to remember that."

Hiashi stood, looking uncertain for once. "Loved, Sheriff?"

"Why do you care? You didn't want her with me in the first place."

"You proved yourself."

"I'll be damned if I need your approval for anything that I do. I did what I did because I knew I could and was worthy of it. You just couldn't see it."

He rose swiftly, preparing to exit the room.

"Where are you going, Sheriff?"

"To find your daughter." He retorted.

"She's in the city, Sheriff."

He shot the Mayor an incredulous look. "She's _here_ in Wolfwater, goddamnit. I saw her a few hours ago." It took all of his self-discipline not to add 'idiot' in as an afterthought.

Holy christ. This was what Hinata had been living with for most of her life. An idiot of a father.

Kiba stalked out of the room and snapped the door shut behind him. Running one hand through his thick hair, he inhaled and tried to calm his thoughts amidst the giddy chaos and millions of questions ricocheting around in his mind, questions that he had asked himself seven years ago.

He thought back to this morning, when he'd first seen her, and when she had tried to ask him out.

He'd brushed Hinata off so callously. Kiba gritted his teeth against the sharp, painful pressure that pressed at him from all sides and swallowed hard as he recollected her witnessing his date with Kiyomi.

Taken together, he knew had given her the ultimate sign - that he had no interest in rekindling their relationship at all.

"Kiba," Shino said, making his way over to him with a couple of papers loosely clasped in his hand. "Would you like to take a look at the annual stats for domestic-"

"Put everything on hold. You take charge here. I need to see to something personal. If you need anything, just text me later."

The unconventional cop raised one eyebrow behind his tinted lenses and appraised him shrewdly.

"Alright. Forgot something?"

Kiba, who was in the midst of pulling out his phone, paused and replied, "Something like that."

* * *

><p>Hinata bit her lower lip and dawdled outside the beautiful cabin-house near Lake Mitoya that had completely froze over under winter's magical spell. In the summer, the the freshwater lake was always a popular spot for campers, families and water sports enthusiasts. In the winter, few to none ventured to the lake for numerous safety precautions.<p>

Kurenai had given Hinata the address to Kiba's 'bachelor pad', as she had termed it fondly. The older woman had wished her luck and Hinata had fervently clung onto the small ray of hope that she dared to harbour deep in her heart. She understood that with such hopes also came the highly likely risk of disappointment, but Hinata wanted to take the gamble one last time before she resigned herself to the fact that she had lost Kiba forever.

Clasping a brown envelope in her gloved hands as she stood on his porch, she pressed the doorbell and waited. As expected, no one answered, but there was a furious clattering of nails against the floor and fervent, joyful barking behind the door that Hinata immediately identified as Akamaru, the Sheriff's loveable, huge white canine. Kurenai had warned Hinata that Kiba was used to working late nights at the police station, which most likely meant that he wouldn't be home even at half past seven.

"Akamaru," Hinata called softly with a smile. The dog whined at being unable to see her, and then woofed in excitement when she placed her fingers near the bottom of the door so that he could scent her. Hinata eventually rose in regret and said farewell to the dog.

After waiting for another minute or so, Hinata stepped off the porch. She slid the envelope addressed to him into his mailbox and cast one lingering glance over his house before she made her way down the driveway and slid back into her car.

Hinata sat behind the wheel for a moment, deep in thought. If Kiba were to reject her explanation (and why should he not?), she decided that her time in Wolfwater would have to end by Christmas. It was painful enough to see him on a date with another woman, much less witness him beginning a real relationship or getting hitched to Kiyomi.

She had wanted to come back to Wolfwater, find a nice apartment and settle down in her hometown, even if a reunion with Kiba proved impossible. A local, smallish publisher had offered her a post in Wolfwater that she would be happy to accept. But from the surfeit of emotions she had experienced awhile back after seeing Kiba, Hinata knew it would be impossible to accept the job offer if she really had lost her chance with him.

Exhaling, Hinata backed out of the driveway and gripped the steering wheel tightly in her hands.

Perhaps it would be good to spend a quiet evening at her rented apartment.

She made her way along the snow-covered street at a moderate speed and turned the radio up just in time to hear that the perky DJ on Wolf 98 reporting the latest update on the weather.

She groaned when the female DJ announced that citizens could expect a blizzard due to hit western and central parts of Wolfwater. They were expected to see about 80 centimetres of snow dumped on them within 24 hours, and winds of 40 miles per hour.

Hinata gulped at the thought. Winds that powerful could snap trees if they persisted. She shouldered on in her Honda as the snow fell heavily, dusting the entire landscape in thick white icing. Everything looked blindingly white - too white. Judging from the situation on the thick snow-covered roads and the ridiculous way the roadside trees were bending and swaying from the gusts of winds, she predicted that she wouldn't make it back in time to her apartment.

The DJ ended with a drive-safe caution to all drivers out there, and smoothly cued a classic Christmas song by Mariah Carey. As the diva crooned about wanting just someone for Christmas, Hinata quickly tried to come up with a plan to find a temporary shelter. This part of Wolfwater however, was more secluded and it would be sometime before she could seek refuge indoors.

She tapped her smartphone and noted with desperation that it had sufficient juice but it wouldn't see her through the entire evening. Plus, there wasn't even a single blip of reception in this part of the town.

Panic lanced through her at the thought of not being at her apartment and her mind flashed back to the letter she had written Kiba. God, she was an idiot. She hadn't factored in the weather, the time needed to return to her apartment, which was west of Wolfwater, and about an hour and a half's drive from his cabin-house. She had informed him of her address should he want to talk to her, but the weather was unrelenting.

"Calm down," She told herself sternly. Tapping her fingers rapidly on the wheel, she moved her car along, searching for any signs for a cafe or house, but this part of Wolfwater was secluded and woodsy, with houses separated by fairly generous amounts of land and wood.

A car rushed past in the opposite lane, headlights shining brightly. The vehicle's speed sent a fine spray of snow up between them, dusting her own car in white powder across the windscreen and her side door.

Hinata exhaled and shook her head slightly. Probably in a hurry to get back home, she thought, switching on her wind-wipers. But the driver could at least be considerate while on the roads no?

She took a left turn onto the road. Pine trees flanked her left and right, gloomy and imposing. Further up ahead, she could see what seemed like an old warehouse.

Hinata crawled along toward the warehouse, watching carefully for signs of any vehicle in the opposite lane. She made a cut across the opposite lane and successfully manoeuvred her Honda into the warehouse's parking lot, when a large truck came trundling past, its tyres slick and shiny.

To her horror, the large blue truck slid and skidded across the slush and snow due to its speed, catching the left rear of her Honda with its left corner fender. The momentum forced her vehicle to slide backward, causing the left passenger door of her car to bang noisily into the left side of the truck. Hinata caught a glimpse of the driver, but majority of his face was obscured by a black cap pulled low over his face.

Stunned by the force of the collision, Hinata sat in her seat, gasping, her hands held slightly above the wheel. The accident had deployed the airbag in her face, protecting her from further harm. White eyes dilated as she saw steam starting to rise out from beneath her hood. _Oh great,_ she groaned mentally. Her Honda in its first accident since she'd bought it four years ago...

_Okay, move move move_, Hinata told herself. As she hastily unbuckled her seat belt in a bid to get out of the car and confront the driver, she felt a sharp ache shooting up her back. Her neck and shoulders hurt from the force of the bang, when it had slammed her back into her seat.

There was a sudden throttle of engine and the truck behind her reversed slightly. Before she knew what had happened, Hinata could only watch from the rearview mirror dumbfounded silence as the blue truck veered off into the other lane and trundled away quickly despite the snow.

"The nerve of him!" She gasped, wincing as she gingerly opened the car door and stepped outside into the biting cold, pulling her coat around her tightly and burying her mouth in her woollen scarf. Gazing in desperation at the fleeing truck driver, she tried to note down his car-plate number of the vehicle, but only managed to get the first three letters of the plate.

"Great," Hinata mumbled in misery. Sliding back into the driver's seat, she opened the glove compartment and fished out a red emergency aid kit she had studiously packed for the winter season. She slipped her phone into her coat pocket as well.

Clutching the kit one gloved hand, Hinata trudged slowly to the warehouse, grimacing at each plunge her boots took in the snow and the sharp pangs of pain shot up her body.

"Come on," She murmured, eyeing the abandoned warehouse. "Just a little bit more."

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><p><em>Thanks! You know reviews spur me on. :')<em>


	4. IV

A/N: I do not live in a country with four seasons. As such, please pardon me if the following account of Hinata's ordeal makes you question how much I know about snowstorms, blizzards and emergency disaster plans. I googled and made sure what I wrote was logical and not unreasonable. Anyhow, I might not have covered everything accurately, so my sincere apologies in advance.

To reviewer _idk_: I assure you, I always write for own progress, hoping to improve with each and every story I put up. I don't purely rely on reviews and motivation from other people - I derive it from other stories/novels I read and ideas that are triggered by something that happened in my life, or something that occurs to me. If I did purely rely on others for motivation in continuing my stories, I wouldn't have dared to put up my first story back in 2007. I merely want to see what readers think of _Heartburn_ and the pairing of KibaHina, seeing as most of them like my GaaHina fics.

For the record, I finished writing _Heartburn_ before I even published its first chapter. I just didn't want to publish all chapters in one day, lest I manage to identify an error and/or decide to amend something in the later chapters, so that you guys get a better, improved read. As such, you can be assured that I will finish _Heartburn _before 2014 ends.  
>As for <em>Arm Candy<em>, I wrote that longer, multi-chapter fic in a different way from _Heartburn: _I did not complete it before publishing the first chapter. Hence I seek your understanding if updates are sloth-slow for _Arm Candy_: that's because I believe in putting up quality work, and quality work and logical plot flow requires time and thought. Unfortunately, time is in short supply for me, as I have many things going on in life, apart from fanfiction, and things that demand my attention before fanfiction. Please understand this.

Thanks.

Disclaimer: _Naruto_ and all characters of the manga/anime are created by Masashi Kishimoto. No profits are earned from this fanfiction in any way.

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><p><em>IV.<em>

"Kurenai."

Kiba held his phone to his ear as he pulled apart the blinds shielding the window in his office room with his free hand. The pine trees were bending and swaying under the pressure of the winds, and he couldn't even see the black-grey of the asphalt beneath the thick white carpet that was snow. "When did you last see Hinata?"

"What happened?" Kurenai asked, her voice taking on a worried tone. "I left her at about half past four and she departed from my house. Said something about wanting to pass you a letter and decided to drop it off at your house, since you were busy running about town."

Kiba pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb as a heavy ache settled in his heart. He'd tried to call Hinata on her phone, but he'd gotten a message from the carrier saying that his call would be sent via text instead, as the user wasn't available. "God. Okay."

"Is everything alright?"

"I know what happened." He said, pacing his office. "Seven years ago," He said impatiently in response to her questioning silence. He grabbed his car keys off from his desk. "I've to find her. So you said she went to my house?"

"Wha- well yes. She should be leaving your house by now." The older woman seemed able to understand that now wasn't the time

"Jesus Kurenai, there's going to be a blizzard this evening." He growled as ugly fear gripped his heart. "It was just in the latest forecast. She'll probably only be halfway from central Wolfwater when it hits. Did she mention where she was heading after dropping off the letter at my house?"

"She didn't say much about where she would go after. I don't know, Kiba. But if I were to hazard a guess, I think she would try to return to the apartment she rented. West of Wolfwater, somewhere on Forsyth Street?"

"Got it." He said. "Give me a call if you know of her whereabouts will you?"

"Alright. Kiba, please find her soon. But be safe will you?" Kurenai said worriedly.

"You know it." He said grimly and ended the call with his mentor.

"It's gonna be hell out there." Shino told him as he shut the door to his office. He gazed at him intently through his tinted lenses, but Kiba shook his head.

"I have to."

"Kiba, it's a _blizzard_, not a snowstorm."

"What the hell am I supposed to do? Wait here and wait till the blizzard dies down? She'll fucking _die, _goddamnit_._"

Everyone in their cubicles stared at him.

Kiba scowled, and they immediately turned back to their desks.

"You'll get killed first before you find her," Shino said quietly, not backing down one bit. "Hinata's smart. She'll find a safe place to seek refuge for now. You can't do anything if you go out there and wade around in the snow. We don't even have reception here because the snow's freezing the lines - what makes you think you have a chance to call for reinforcements out there? Kiba, don't do anything rash."

Kiba exhaled.

Damn it.

He was not a city boy. He'd lived his entire life in Wolfwater. Had survived snowstorms and at least one blizzard to know what he needed to do to under such circumstances. _Doing_ something was better than not doing anything, and worrying and waiting. Because if he didn't get into action, he would go insane from the numerous scenarios he'd conjured up about Hinata.

"I'll come back before the blizzard hits." The Inuzuka rasped. "Get the Mayor to stay indoors. It's too dangerous for him to go out now. Tell Kon I need him to monitor for traffic accidents involving vehicles. Notify me immediately if you get any Hondas in accidents."

"Kiba-"

The Sheriff was out of the door before Shino could say anything.

An hour's drive later, the weather conditions forced the Inuzuka to turn back to the central police station with no sighting of Hinata's cream Honda at all. Visibility was poor - he could only see a quarter of a mile in front of his Dodger Challenger and nothing else except white, whirling snow that seemed to fall thicker by the minute.

With a frustrated growl, Kiba slammed the door shut. The force of his action sent a layer of snow falling to his booted feet, which he blatantly ignored.

"Accident involving several Hondas in different parts of Wolfwater, but none of them are cream coloured, sir." Konohamaru reported to him when Kiba loomed over the cop's desk, snow stuck in his dishevelled hair.

"Keep monitoring, will you?"

"Sure."

"And the Mayor?"

"Still in conference room 3 sir."

Kiba nodded curtly. He dug up a telephone number from someone he knew in Forsyth Street, who eventually directed him to a Mrs Yoshimi who had rented an apartment out to a Hinata Hyuuga. When he rang up Mrs Yoshimi, she informed him that Hinata had yet to return to her apartment.

Setting down the phone after thanking the lady, he shook his head grimly when Shino looked at him questioningly.

* * *

><p>Hinata felt herself for injuries shortly after she entered the abandoned warehouse, but found no serious or damaging ones that needed urgent medical attention.<p>

She surveyed the building she was in carefully, noting with apprehension that the large, brown warehouse with dirt-stained windows was pretty old and dilapidated. It had eight pillars in total, four running in double rows, and a broken, dusty clock hanging in the middle of the ceiling. It read 3:35, when it should have been half past five. The old, rusty, zinc roof above occasionally creaked beneath the accumulated snow on the roof.

Hinata knew it was not exactly the best place to seek refuge in, after considering the force of the winds and the heavy mass of snow that the skies had poured on the town. Nevertheless, she had a higher chance of surviving in here as compared to the outdoors.

Despite the warehouse's evident age, it made up for it in space - it could have packed twenty cars side by side. Its walls were heavily graffitied with cuss words and nonsensical terms that didn't mean anything to her. Some of its windows were broken but the others were intact, which should provide a semblance of insulation from the swirling blizzard. Several broken and unwanted furniture like dusty couches, tables and chairs littered the place, providing an idea of what the warehouse had once stored.

She found a relatively dry place to sit and unzipped the kit bag. Uncapping a fresh bottle of water, she took sips of it and attempted to warm herself up by rubbing her gloved fingers together and massaging her legs. She checked her phone, but the reception failed her miserably as expected, which meant she was _still_ unable to receive or send messages to anyone in her contact book. Wrapping her arms around her bent knees, she dozed off for a bit as the howling winds outside lulled her to an uneasy rest, and then jerked awake when she almost careened sideways into a pile of snow. Yawning and standing up, Hinata tried to warm herself up by moving around constantly and taking occasional sips of water. Wincing as she hobbled around, she wiggled her toes in her knee-length boots and bent to touch the tips of her boots with her fingers to improve blood circulation, but it was getting colder by the minute and she her bones were lethargic. To exacerbate the situation, she felt cold and sleepy. Eventually, she decided to go back to her seating spot and hugged herself tightly.

The Hyuuga tried to conjure up positive, happy thoughts - no mean feat, considering what had just happened today. She reminded herself of Tenten, of Neji, of Hanabi, Kurenai and eventually Kiba himself. She had never yearned so much for him as she did now, She found comfort in the knowledge that she'd left an explanation for him, which she fervently hoped, he would most likely see when he got home.

There was a sudden groan above, and she glanced up warily as the ferocious winds battered the sheeted zinc roof and the sides of the warehouse violently. It creaked ominously amidst the occasional drummings of the snow and wind and Hinata hoped it wouldn't give way anytime. Fishing out a torchlight-radio from the kit, she mentally berated herself for not thinking of using the in-built radio earlier. Fiddling with the buttons, Hinata tried tuning into a local radio station but was only able to receive static and some disjointed words such as 'blizzard', 'three hours' and 'thick snow'. She glanced down at her watch.

She'd been stuck in the warehouse for the past hour and a half.

She peered out of the window, grimacing as she saw the flurry of snow being tossed around by the strong winds. The entire landscape seemed to be a bleak shade of grey-white, as though it had been painted with broad strokes by a melancholy painter on a winter evening. Hinata tried flashing her torchlight every five minutes in the hopes of catching the attention of any passing vehicle, but her attempts were futile. It would have been tough to hear a vehicle trundling past anyway, for the winds were already too noisy.

There were several more achy groans from the ceiling. Hinata dug around in her kit bag, hoping to find an umbrella, but came away with nothing. She glanced around her desperately, trying to find some sort of shelter she could take in the event of a roof collapse.

A dirty study desk with top shelves beckoned to her. It had an empty niche where one usually placed one's legs while seating at a desk, beneath two built in drawers. Hinata dropped her phone into her pocket, grabbed her kit bag and water bottle, and hurried to the table. She was just a metre away from her new hiding place when there was a loud bang from above her.

She shrieked and climbed into the niche quickly, hitting her head against the underside of the desk in the process.

"Ow!"

Peering up while rubbing the sore spot on her skull, Hinata watched as a portion of the zinc roof gave way to the accumulating snow. Thick piles of snow fell in and onto the floor in a heap while the wind gleefully banged its strong fists against the broken part of the roof. It flapped wildly like a flag in the wind before breaking away completely and landing noisily on the floor of the warehouse.

Hinata gasped.

"Shoot, shoot, shoot," She murmured, crouching beneath the desk. She prayed that the desk was sturdy enough to keep her safe from falling zinc roofs and willed the elderly warehouse to stand firm against the blizzard.

Hinata tried her phone again but the device wouldn't give her a chance. To make things worst, she was running out of juice as well. Forty-five per cent could last her for three more hours at best. Assuming the blizzard died down after another hour and a half, she would probably have a little bit of juice left to call for help.

_If_ she managed to get any reception at all.

Rubbing and then cupping her gloved hands together over her mouth, she exhaled into the little space she had created and tried to warm her hands up furiously with the friction.

The bleakness of the situation had her turning to memories which she had always kept in a precious box shoved at the back of her mind. It was her own source of energy and emotional strength, the memories she pulled out for herself when the going got especially tough.

She remembered how Kiba had brought her to a drive-in movie one humid evening. They'd been the last to arrive, tucked away at a secluded corner of the field. Instead of watching Tom Cruise own the skies in Top Gun, they had made out in his car. She had gotten bolder and had allowed him to slip off the thin shoulder straps of her red gingham dress, baring her full breasts to his hot mouth.

She had never felt anything so exquisite and hot and pleasurable when his mouth closed over her tight nipple hungrily. Hinata had tried to hold him close, to make him center his tongue over her aching peak, but he had pulled away and chuckled against the curve of her breast, telling her she needed to take it easy.

"Please," She had begged him. "More, Kiba."

His burning forehead touched hers then and he breathed against her cheek. "Easy, easy, hime. Let's go slow."

"I don't want to go slow," She'd said, and had been rewarded with husky laughter and his intense whiskey-coloured gaze instead.

Hinata wrapped her arms around her knees again and propped her chin against her forearm, her flashlight dangling from one hand, the kit in between her legs. It had seemed like an eternity since she was anchored in the Inuzuka's strong arms, accompanied by Akamaru's wet kisses and his owner's heated nuzzling at her neck. Hell it was. It had been seven years.

Her eyes burning, Hinata mentally shook herself. Apparently, those memories couldn't give her strength now. She tried to distract herself by glancing around at the dank and dark warehouse. The broken roof was now wedged in the middle of the pile of snow, the end sticking up in the air. Hinata watched, biting her lower lip as the wind sent more snow barrelled in through the newly created hole and it slammed itself ferociously against the walls of the warehouse.

She wondered how much more the roof could take.

Apparently not much, because someone from the heavens above had read her mind and decided to put her thoughts to the test. The roof emitted a slow, prolonged groan that seemed to increase in volume as it succumbed to the mountain of falling snow. Hinata gasped and watched in horror as the rest of the roof _and_ the walls started to give way, crumpling like malleable foil beneath the pressure of the blizzard.

Desperation clawing at her, Hinata curled herself into a ball and pressed herself tighter into the niche of the desk. She shut her eyes and covered her ears as the entire thing gave way with a screeching groan and shriek.

* * *

><p>Staring out at the snowy weather with a scowl, Kiba noted that the blizzard was still at full force. There was a layer of fine snow continuously tossed up by the wind, sending it whirling around. The bleakness of the landscape and turbulence of the weather perfectly represented his inner turmoil.<p>

There was no one out in this dastardly weather. It had turned into an eerie ghost town, where orange blobs from the street lamps bobbed about in the whirling grey like disembodied objects.

The past two and a half hours had been nothing but torture for Kiba. The likelihood that Hinata was probably out there as the skies dumped layers and layers of snow upon the surroundings was excruciating.

Feeling like the world's most useless idiot, he braced one clenched fist against the cold surface of the window and willed the weather to die down.

"Sheriff."

There was a swift knock. When Kiba turned from his window situated behind his desk he saw Konohamaru wearing a sombre expression, his shoulder touching the door.

"There's been a report of a warehouse collapse along the stretch of Cortlandt Street, in west Wolfwater."

Kiba stiffened.

"And?"

"There was this guy who just called in to report the collapse. Said there was a cream-coloured Honda, with the car plate number 14-30. No bodies were found in the vehicle,"

_Fourteen thirty._ Yes, that was Hinata's car.

"But?" Kiba asked hollowly.

He swallowed. "They believe there's a woman trapped beneath the debris."

He glanced back at the window and his mind shot into overdrive. His pulse thundered and there was a strange ache that had seized his limbs and chest. Cold, icy fingers plunged itself into his chest and wrapped itself around his heart, wrenching and twisting it mercilessly.

_Fuck._

"Did they call the fire department?" He growled, tensely.

"Yes. They're on their way. The Western Wolfwater police dept sent down a team of officers."

"You're coming with me. Moegi too," Kiba rasped. "Call for backup, get them to haul ass to Cortlandt. We're heading there first." He put on his leather jacket and wound a scarf around his neck with short, jerky movements and gave Shika orders to inform the Mayor each time they had info from Konohamaru.

The three of them arrived at the site after slightly over an hour, which was already considered an incredible feat in itself since the actual journey would have taken one and a half hours. Kiba's intense focus on getting to his destination resulted in a devil-may-care driving that saw him exceeding the speed limit of the roads. Neither one of the cops had the guts to tell the Sheriff he could be pulled over for speeding. Hell, it seemed a barricade of road blocks wouldn't even hinder their Sheriff's driving.

The only noise that filled the interior of the Dodge Challenger was from the police radio and the shrieking, flashing light bar above the vehicle. Occasionally, the younger cops exchanged glances between them but little else was said.

It was hence no surprise when the Inuzuka immediately leapt out of the car the moment he braked in front of what seemed like a pile of debris amidst the snow covered ground.

"My god," Moegi whispered to Konohamaru as they appraised the scene.

A barricade tape with an alternating pattern of blue and white had been set up to cordon off a section of the road, fluttering in the cold breeze. The red and blue lights from two other cruisers were flashing repeatedly across the entire scene while static sounded from the radioes. An intimidating fire engine and an ambulance was parked haphazardly beside the scene. Firemen and officers crawled all over the place, flashing powerful torches and shouting to each other.

"Let me in, _goddamn it_," Kiba demanded to the officer in charge, who for some reason or other, couldn't recognise the Sheriff. He flashed his badge and the white-eyed cop paled, immediately lifted the tape to let him pass.

"Sorry sir."

"Any bodies?" His tone was curt, low and tensed.

"They're trying to rescue a - a woman. She's stuck in the debris, sir. We believe she's Hinata Hyuuga, the

Barely even waiting for the officer to finish his sentence, Kiba sprinted to where the warehouse once stood. It vaguely resembled a pile of matchsticks times eight, except that matchsticks were not as thick and heavy as the pile of zinc roofing and damp, termite-ridden pillars that had given way amidst the snow. The debris created lines that crossed horizontally and vertically as the police officers with K-9 dogs hunted for Hinata on top of the pile measuring almost half a mile wide.

Anguish, fear and desperation threatened to pull him under, but Kiba forced himself to stay calm. Wishing he'd brought Akamaru with him to search for her, he began shouting Hinata's name.

"Hinata!" He bellowed, starting from the corner where there were least police officers. "Hinata!" He scrambled, dug and shifted aside wooden planks, rusty zinc roofs and broken chairs, couches and

"Sheriff!" Moegi's voice called out to him from the road. "Sheriff! Akamaru's here!"

To his surprise he turned with one foot against a high pile of rusty metal. He panted, releasing white puffs of breath from his mouth as his eyes dilated at the sight of the huge white canine bounding up to him, black leash flying.

He lifted his gaze and saw his older sister, Hana Inuzuka, standing beyond the perimeter of the cordoned off area, watching him with two huskies flanking her side.

"Good boy, good boy," He said, as tears rose suddenly in his eyes. Jesus, Akamaru was here. "Thanks Hana," He murmured. He rubbed the dog's head vigorously with his gloved hand as Akamaru placed his front paws against Kiba's thighs and tried to lick his fingers.

"C'mon, let's find Hinata." He said, forcing the dog to look into his eyes, his hand beneath the dog's jaw. Akamaru had once been Kiba's police dog when he was with the K-9 unit but due to an injury, the dog had been put up for adoption. Naturally, Kiba had immediately applied to take him home. After being constantly spoilt and fed regularly like any other regular dog in the Inuzuka household, Akamaru had managed to recover from his leg injury, although he needed frequent rests.

"_Sit_." Akamaru automatically sat down obediently by his side, looking up at him through solemn dark eyes when he heard the firm tone of his master. "Good. _Go_." Kiba commanded. The white dog immediately sniffed at the pile of debris studiously, pawing and scrambling about as he set off to work, hackles moving restlessly beneath his thick fur.

"Hinata!" Kiba roared every few seconds, shifting aside planks and jagged pieces of zinc. He pulled them away frantically, trying to uncover the layer beneath the debris. Even if he needed to shout himself hoarse, Kiba swore he would have her in his arms.

_Focus, focus, Inuzuka,_ he gritted his teeth.

Every second felt like an hour, a week, a month, as he shifted and moved and dug and pushed heavy debris around, trying to hear for signs of a whisper, a movement, a flash of dark hair and pale skin. Trepidation mounted as half an hour passed and the other officers recorded no signs of life beneath the fallen warehouse.

His throat aching as desperation and anguish clogged his throat, Kiba wanted to pound the ground angrily with his fists and plead the heavens to return Hinata to him. He never once stopped to rest and neither did Akamaru, who scrambled about on his four paws, nose buried in the pile.

He thought he knew what it felt like to lose someone when Hinata left Wolfwater. But this was a thousand time worst. This was hell on earth, because Kiba couldn't stand the thought of his lover lying beneath the debris, weak, afraid, and ignorant of how he truly felt about her.

The thought sent a new burst of energy into him. He searched relentlessly, ears straining for any whimper or call.

He tried calling for Hinata with his phone but the reception failed him and he shoved it back into his trouser pocket.

Akamaru suddenly gave a sharp bark, frantically digging. He was about two metres away from Kiba, tail wagging eagerly as his front paws scrambled and pushed at the debris. A ray from a light source - likely a torchlight - came from the spot where Akamaru dug at, the light flashing in weak and random movements.

The dog stuffed his face into a small hole, temporarily blocking the light and emitted a high-pitched whine. Then he looked up at Kiba and woofed several times.

Kiba immediately scrambled over to Akamaru, slipping and sliding on the wet, uneven surface.

He lifted a sheet of zinc aside and it broke apart in his hands. Throwing it away, Kiba knelt by the small hole which measured no larger than the size of his hand. It was dark and dim, and he could barely see much, no thanks to the weak evening sun.

"He-help," He heard a voice call feebly, just barely a whisper. He squinted as blinding light from the torch flashed directly into his eyes, causing the scene to whiteout temporarily.

"Hinata?" He shouted into the hole, one hand coming up to shield his eyes from the light source down below. He blinked rapidly. Balancing himself on one hand, he shoved his free hand into the hole and tried to grope around gently. Something soft and cold collided with him, gripping his gloved hand.

"Y-yes," The voice came faintly.

"Hang on." He growled, squeezing Hinata's hand as dizzy relief, elation and love surged through him powerfully. "I'm gonna get you out alright? Stay awake, baby, and _don't_ sleep, got it?"

There was a low murmur.

Kiba lifted his head.

"OY!" He roared. "I need meds and cops over here _NOW_!"

* * *

><p>Thanks!<p> 


	5. V

_Disclaimer_: _Naruto_ and all characters of the manga/anime are created by Masashi Kishimoto. No profits are earned from this fanfiction in any way.

* * *

><p><em>V.<em>

Bright, white light being shone into her face. Muted, masculine voices. Distinct barking.

She vaguely remembered something wet licking her face and reckoned she was dreaming, but then the barking persisted, this time accompanied by a deeply familiar and husky voice that could only belong to Kiba Inuzuka.

Or perhaps that was just her dreaming.

She had been leaning her head against something stiff and sturdy.

The desk's niche. _Right_.

She'd tried moving, but she couldn't move an inch without having all sorts of things poking into her ribs, her shins, arms and head. Plus, she was finding it tough to stay awake when black spots kept exploding before her eyes like exuberant fireworks on New Year's eve. The right side of her head was throbbing sharply and she could feel sticky liquid trickling down the side of her face. Not good, not good.

Someone had been calling her name and she hadn't wanted to respond because her tongue felt too thick and her limbs were too heavy and sluggish. So Hinata had tried to fumble about with her torch while her vision threatened to give way to darkness. She'd managed to switch on her torch after some groping, and tried to wave it wildly, hoping to gain the attention of the rescuers up there. The Hyuuga vaguely remembered murmuring something incoherent to someone shouting at her.

There was more shouting, barking and the scrabbling of hands above her as pieces of objects started to move above her head. Fine dust dropped around her, and a few snowflakes drifted in languidly like small marshmallows.

And then she was pulled up - very gently - by strong arms. There must have been four or five people around her, their voices swimming around in hazy confusion, their words blurring into one another like slurred sentences of a television programme that was turned down low. She could hear the buzz of the static from walkie-talkies, accompanied by more barking and crunching of debris. Trying to keep herself awake, Hinata caught a glimpse of red and blue lights flashing wildly. The lights caused bursts of pain to shoot beneath her eyelids. Suddenly, the sky tilted and shifted dizzily as she felt herself being lifted gently into someone's arms, his grip secure and strong. It was a he, she affirmed, when her cheek pressed against the hardness of the man's chest as her legs were lifted. There was soft murmuring against her hair, and Hinata felt as though she was a child being pacified after a brutal beating.

She wondered if the person who held her was Kiba. She prayed that it wasn't him. She prayed he hadn't seen her in such a pathetic state, and that he was safe at home, reading the letter she had written to him.

Her vision blurring, Hinata felt darkness creeping steadily into her periphery, fatigue beckoning to her like an angel in the dark.

She felt her eyelids droop and darkness enclosing around her from all sides lovingly.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Kiba, <em>

_This letter must come as a surprise to you, especially since you haven't heard from me in such a long time. I know I don't have a right to ask you for any favours, but please, do me one last favour by reading this entire letter. You may do whatever you want to it afterwards._

_I would like to explain to you the reason behind the sudden break-up between us seven years ago, before I left for Wolfwater. This is not an excuse for my behaviour - I sincerely wish to explain to you what happened, so that you may know the full details of my abrupt departure._

_Ever since I've met you and seen you enrol into the police academy, __I know how much you aspired to be Sheriff__. I know how important it is to you and how much you're willing to go for the people in Wolfwater. Somehow, people can't see that your passion to protect and to serve fuels you, not the status or title of Sheriff._

_I think you are well aware of my father's reluctance to support your campaign. He also opposed to our relationship, but I felt that it was not up to him to decide who I could be with. I wanted to stay with you and be with you. But __I also understood how important it was for a candidate to gain the support from the Mayor during the campaign period. _

_So came the two options: If I left Wolfwater and severed all ties with you, he would give you his support. He admitted that he could see you as Sheriff, but not as his daughter's boyfriend. _

_If I didn't leave, he would support Ko Hyuuga, another candidate, and see that you would fail in your campaign._

_My father is the sort of man who will go through with what he says. Although I loath his methods of taking me in hand, I sincerely did not want to jeopardise your career with the prejudices of my father, so I left Wolfwater. Although he did not show you his support even after I left, _I hope you will understand why I did what I did then. __

__You can imagine how happy I was to hear your election as Sheriff from Kurenai. This is what you should be proud of, Kiba: accomplishing what you set out to do, even with obstacles thrown your way. And with your own merit, you succeeded. __

__This has been one of the attractive qualities of yours that reeled me in when I first came to know you. __

_I have never once stopped loving you. I always will._

_I know I am asking for the impossible... but if I could be so bold as to request one more chance with you, I would like to meet you just outside Akimichi's diner. __If not, please ignore this letter and forget its contents. Take it that you never read this. I will respect the choice that you've made. Please be rest assured that I will not come to you again like this as well._

__I wish you all the very best in your career and life, Kiba. I hope that you will find a good woman who will love you better than I did in the past, and who will take away the pain I once caused you.__

_Yours always,  
><em>_Hinata._

* * *

><p>Kiba folded the letter and tucked it into the lining pocket of his jacket, his eyes burning as her tender words swum about in his head.<p>

_Christ_. He scrubbed his face with both hands, elbows braced against his knees. The contents of the letter corroborated with what Hiashi had said, although Hinata had presented a considerably 'softer' version of the events.

"Coffee?"

Kiba dropped his hands. A paper cup filled to the brim with steaming black coffee appeared in his line of vision.

The Inuzuka looked up, meeting the solemn gaze of Hiashi Hyuuga. Shock jolted through him at the sight of the imposing figure of the Mayor standing before him. The Mayor held another styrofoam cup in his other hand with coffee.

"Thanks." Kiba said, taking the cup the Mayor offered. He gestured to the seat beside him. "Have a seat."

"If you insist." Hiashi replied in his gravelly tone. Around them, telephones rang and nurses and visitors to the hospital occasionally wandered past, bearing clipboards or visiting gifts respectively. A team of trainee doctors from a local university converged near them, listening intently as an elderly doctor gesticulated and spoke.

Kiba had gone home last night after following Hinata to the hospital. Hana, Moegi and Konohamaru had followed in the Sheriff's car. He had meant to stay the night and wait while the doctor administered aid to her, but was shooed out of the place by his persistent older sister. Hana had reasoned that Hinata would be far too tired to speak to him, and there was thus no point in staying.

They were silent for awhile. Kiba racked his mind for appropriate things to say as he took a few sips of the coffee, but really, what did one say when your last meeting with said person had seen him generally shouting and then storming out of the room?

But it seemed the Inuzuka didn't have to think about that, because Hiashi spoke first.

"Thank you for rescuing my daughter."

Kiba set his coffee aside on a small table attached to the row of plastic chairs before rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I didn't do much."

"Didn't do much? Didn't you and your dog find her? You helped pull her out of the rubble. Carried her out. I don't think that's very little."

Kiba glanced at the Mayor, unsure of what to say.

Was Hiashi actually complimenting him?

The older man was sitting with his spine ramrod straight as usual, his gaze directed ahead. But as he met Kiba's eyes, a very faint smile drifted across Hiashi's lips.

A queer feeling settled over Kiba. One that wasn't necessarily unpleasant, but he couldn't put a name to it. The Inuzuka however, instinctively knew that his relationship with Hinata's father had just reached an entirely new level, once that he'd never dreamt of reaching before.

Kiba tilted his head at him in acknowledgement. "I wanted to get her out of that hell hole immediately."

Hiashi nodded. "And you did."

The Inuzuka didn't know what to say to that, so he shifted in his seat and decided to bring up something he'd been thinking about for quite a while.

"I intend to take Hinata to my home to recuperate." Kiba said, glancing at Hiashi. "I will take care of her."

He really was courting death, Kiba thought dryly. The request hadn't come out as he'd expected - he'd meant to ask for permission, but it had ended up more as a statement than a question.

Hiashi sensed that. "Is that a question, Sheriff?" He asked, after taking a sip of his coffee slowly and holding it near his chest.

Kiba tilted his head, attempting to suppress a sudden grin. "No," he admitted.

Hiashi sighed and. "Just as I expected." He rested his wrist near his knee. "Hinata has grown to be an independent woman. But I do feel more assured if someone was with her during this time. She needs someone to help her."

He trained his gaze on Kiba and assessed him shrewdly.

"I'll be there for her." The Inuzuka replied,

Somehow, such a simple sentence took on a greater meaning when it was verbalized. And Kiba meant every single word of it.

Hiashi nodded and stared gravely at Kiba.

"You take good care of my daughter, Inuzuka."

"I will." Kiba replied quietly.

The doors to Hinata's room swung open. The doctor, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair square wire spectacles, and stepped out. He had a stethoscope slung around his neck and a clipboard in one hand.

"Ah. Mayor Hiashi. Sheriff."

Kiba leapt up and Hiashi rose fluidly.

"You may go in and see Ms Hyuuga now, but I'm afraid she's not up yet, for the ordeal has worn her out greatly. She certainly has been very lucky, although I believe we can attribute her escape to her own survival efforts. It is fortunate that she managed to find a place to hide before the entire warehouse came down, or she would have sustained injuries on a more serious scale." The doctor nodded gravely, and went onto explain that Hinata had sustained a shallow gash on her head, suffered from poor blood circulation and as a result felt faint. The shock from the ordeal and fatigue had caused her to wander between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"Other than ample bed rest and regular hydration, she needs to have her bandage on her head kept dry at all times and changed twice per day. She'll be good as new in a few days time, you'll see." The doctor promised. "I just need to monitor her gash for now. Other than that, I should be able to discharge Ms Hyuuga by the time the weekend rolls around. Of course, you have to bring her back _immediately_ if she feels nauseous or giddy."

The two men murmured their thanks.

"You're welcome, Sheriff, Mayor." The doctor nodded at them and excused himself.

Both Kiba and Hiashi made to move toward the doors, but they paused and turned to each other.

The Inuzuka regarded him with dark eyes. Then he stepped back and gestured for Hiashi to precede him.

The Mayor pulled open the door and jerked his head. "In, Inuzuka, before I regret it."

"No. Please." Kiba inclined his head. "I will have time with her later." The logical part of him argued that Hiashi didn't deserve to see his daughter after the pain he had caused to both of them, but blood would always be thicker than water. He didn't blame Hiashi for the past 7 years. He could if he wanted to, but life was too short to spend his energy harbouring a grudge against another man. Besides, Kiba wouldn't entrust Hinata to _himself_ if he could help it, but he couldn't.

The Mayor nodded and slipped in. When he exited, his face was solemn. "She isn't awake yet."

Kiba nodded.

When he entered the room, the Inuzuka was almost brought to his knees by the sudden rush of sweet, incredible relief that flooded every cell of his body as he saw Hinata lying on the bed beneath the blankets, her countenance peaceful as she slept on. As he sat beside her on the plastic chair provided, he took in the pulse oximeter on her index finger, the white gauze that covered her head wound and the incredible petiteness of her frame beneath the blankets.

It was only then that he'd realised just how close he had been to losing her.

There were so many things he wanted to tell her after he'd read her letter. He wanted to tell her she was the only woman who would ever have a claim on his heart, his mind, body and soul. He wanted to tell her how brave she had been and that he now knew the sacrifices she had made for him when they'd been young and ambitious.

Picking up one of her small, cold hands, Kiba brushed his lips over the pale knuckles. He pressed another kiss against the soft skin over the bones there and murmured words he himself didn't think he would utter. She shifted and stirred, her eyes darting rapidly beneath her closed eyelids.

His pulse leapt.

Kiba shifted forward immediately, his elbows coming to rest on the bed near her abdomen.

"Hinata." He said, his voice no more than rasp of sound.

Her lashes lifted, revealing pure white tinged with just the slightest hint of lavender. Kiba felt as though the floor was shifting beneath him. He clutched her hand tightly.

She murmured something incoherent, a little crease appearing between her eyebrows. "Kiba.."

"Hey." He half stood, half crouched over her, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed and gazed into her eyes. "Hinata. How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

A hesitant smile curved her lips as she gazed at him, then glanced around them carefully. "I'm fine," She murmured, gaze dropping to their clasped hands. "D-did you receive my letter?" She asked worriedly, trying to sit up. He released her hand.

"Careful." He warned as he hit the button set in her bedframe. It folded the topmost half of the bed into an L-shape and allowed Hinata to settle more comfortably up right.

Kiba tucked the blankets around her carefully before meeting her gaze. "I did." He produced the letter from the pocket on the inside of his jacket, but Hinata touched his wrist with her fingers.

"I know you need time," She said quietly, resolution in her eyes. "You don't have to be here. You need time to think things over."

"I need time yes," Kiba answered, propping himself on her bed, careful not to sit on her thigh. He picked up her hand again, caressing the skin over her palm with his thumb, his gaze searing and honest.

"I need more time with you, Hinata, because I've wasted enough time apart from you. I don't want another second without you, or think over what might have been or should have in the past. For me, the answer's simple as hell."

He placed her hand beneath his leather jacket, right over his heart, where he covered it with his larger hand.

"Do you _understand_, Hinata?"

There was a silence and he picked up the trembling of her hand, the slight parting of her lips.

"A-are you doing this only because I'm sickly and injured? I- d-don't want pity from you." Shyly, she tried to remove her hand that was trapped beneath his palm. Her eyebrows notched together to form a crease. "I don't want you to feel that you can't turn me down now, because I'm helpless and -" She gestured at her surroundings uncertainly. "-in _hospital_."

Kiba stared incredulously at her.

"_God_. I feel so much for you Hinata, but pity is definitely _not_ one of them. Neither am I doing this out of obligation. No one can make me do what I don't want to do, you of all people should know that."

Then he reached for her and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. It was the sort of kiss that was given by a man who knew exactly what he was doing and to whom, and it left little doubt as to what Kiba wanted from Hinata. It was different from their past kisses - those were marked by lust and passion and the inevitable giddiness of first love, but this was deep, slow, fulfilling and electric all at once, like the fitting of a part of one's soul into an empty little niche.

He felt it, and he knew Hinata felt it too. She was warm and shy beneath him at first, the shock of being kissed still filtering through her, until her mouth flowered slowly beneath his and a groan resonated through him at the heat and lusciousness of the kiss. He broke away after what seemed like an eternity plundering her soft mouth, drawing her body in tighter against his own. Her arms shook as she circled his broad shoulders.

"I know what happened." He said, his chin brushing her shoulder. He inhaled deeply, chest expanding - she smelled wonderful even in such a sterile environment - like warm woman, sunshine, hope and family. "Your father spoke to me. He told me everything."

"Wha-"

She tried to pull away. He released her and cupped her jaw, one thumb coming over her soft, slightly chapped lips to stop her from talking. Hinata's eyes were wide.

"But-"

"Sh. That's not important to me now. See, I don't pity you. I don't feel obliged to you. I don't hate you. I don't even like you one bit, because where you're concern, my feelings for you are anything but mild. I _love_ you, damn it." He growled, pulling away and tilting her head up, his fingers gentle on her jaw. His gaze was fierce and intense as he stared into her eyes deeply, forehead knocking against hers. "I've never stopped, Hina. You know that."

Hinata's eyes shimmered with tears. Her fingers found the tattoo on his cheek, and she touched it lightly. "I had hoped so desperately-"

"Yeah." He whispered, his voice husky. "You don't have to hope. This is _real_. Jesus, I'm not good with words but -"

"I know," Hinata hushed him and took him into her arms again, a surge of aching tenderness crashing over her. "I - _Kiba_."

He grasped her neck and kissed her deeply.

"I'm going to take you home, take care of you, make love to you, and then marry you." He rasped, touching the corner of her mouth with his own. She gave him a small kiss and he took it and turned it into a deep, lingering one.

Her eyes blinked rapidly. "M-marry? I-in that order?" She asked, slightly breathless.

He thought about it and grinned. He didn't know it of course, but the grin that he sported was entirely wicked and sexy, in Hinata's opinion.

"Yeah. In that order."

* * *

><p>;) Thanks!<p> 


	6. VI

A/N: This chapter is quite unnecessary. But I wanted the ficlet to be M-rated so I threw it in anyway. Haha. Thanks for reading _Heartburn. _:')

Disclaimer: _Naruto_ and all characters of the manga/anime are created by Masashi Kishimoto. No profits are earned from this fanfiction in any way.

* * *

><p><em>VI.<em>

"Careful." Kiba instructed as Hinata made her way up the porch of the Inuzuka's cabin house, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

"_Kiba_," Hinata protested as he slung her duffel bag over one shoulder and guided her to his doorstep. "I can walk on my own. It's not like I broke my leg or even sprained it. I'm perfectly fine."

The Inuzuka blatantly ignored her words. He refused to release her waist, even managing to unlock his front door deftly with one hand.

Lake Mitoya was as beautiful as ever, frozen in the background in all of its glittering, white glory. Dark, conical pine trees clustered around them, dotting the hills and beyond, their branches ladened with powder white dust. The ground beneath them was buried under an even thicker layer of fresh snow that had recently been released by the skies above. Weak rays of sun filtered through the wispy grey clouds, lending a dreamy filter to the overall landscape. Hinata tilted her face towards the fading orb of light.

It was Sunday. She had been discharged from the hospital with permission from the doctor, much to her relief. Although she had been certified healthy and more than well enough to leave, Kiba was constantly asking her if she was feeling giddy or nauseous, his touch over her body both possessive and protective at once.

A smile lifted her lips as she remembered how he'd turned up at her ward and signed some papers the hospital needed. He looked darkly handsome as usual, perhaps more so without him in his Sheriff's attire. The simple black t-shirt and well-worn jeans he'd worn beneath another of his leather jacket seemed to enhance his handsome ruggedness. City men usually looked sharp, smart or overly well-dressed, but Kiba had this inherent

The Inuzuka had donned a gray scarf around his tanned, strong neck, and his dark hair glittered with falling snowflakes which he shook out when he first entered her room. Hinata noticed several women glancing at him twice when they left the hospital, offering breathy hellos and greetings to their Sheriff. She'd smiled privately then, like a woman harbouring some inner secret.

When they were out of the hospital, Hinata had refused to be carried from the wheelchair and into his black pickup truck, insisting that she was able to cross the tiny space of distance on her own two feet. They ended up in a mock argument that sizzled with heat in the chilly wintry weather, and Kiba ended up giving her another of his deep kisses as he leaned over her to buckle her in.

Hinata had caught a whiff of wind, mint and cedar as he leaned over, the combination intoxicatingly seductive. She wanted to bury her nose in her neck, but forced herself to let him go to the driver's seat, watching with pleasure when he grinned and inadvertently flashed twin dimples as he called out a greeting to a passing town folk.

Despite her giddy happiness at Kiba's words the day before, the Hyuuga was well aware of the gap that had stretched between them during the past years they'd spent apart. They still had plenty to catch up on, to adjust, to get back into the rhythm. She needed

There was a bout of loud, frantic barking and Hinata blinked when a white blur hurtled out from the door, gray ears flapping, tail wagging.

"_Akamaru._" Kiba commanded. "Sit."

The dog immediately sat, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted and looked up adoringly at them, his tail still wagging furiously. Even while on his rump, his head was at waist-level with Hinata. Clearly, the canine had grown even bigger than she had remembered. When Kiba brought home the injured dog, he hadn't been as heavy as he looked.

"Oh, Akamaru, sweetheart," Hinata said, crouching down to hug the huge dog. The dog immediately went into her arms, his warm, furry body wriggling like a fish between her arms. Hinata was covered in wet, sloppy kisses as he nipped at her and licked her everywhere playfully.

"Easy boy," Kiba warned the canine.

"Thank you for finding me." She told him, her nose to his black snout. "Thank you."

Kiba felt a lump forming in his throat and fought the urge to pull both of them into his arms. God. Hinata always had the ability to make him do things like that.

"He's grown so big," Hinata gasped as Akamaru licked her face merrily. Kiba crouched down beside her, one hand coming to tug at the dog's collar to restrain the canine and his burst of affections upon seeing Hinata.

"Did he?" Kiba mused. "Never really noticed. You got fat, ol' boy," The Inuzuka patted the dog's rear and chided.

"C'mon, let's go in. It's cold out here for us, Akamaru. Hinata needs to rest."

The three of them went in, with Akamaru constantly at their heels.

Kiba steered Hinata onto a sturdy looking black couch with brown throw pillows. He set her duffel bag down by the floor before helping her settle on the couch.

"This place is lovely," She said, looking around the living room. The entire house was furnished in earthy colours of wood, black and beige. It looked homely and masculine, little bits and pieces of Kiba and Akamaru evident in the house. Random dog toys and chew bones littered the floor while Akamaru stood by looking innocent. He even had the audacity to offer her doggy grin, if that was possible. Other than the occasional unwashed coffee mug at the sink or the shirt and trousers he'd draped over his chair from the night before, the house looked fairly neat.

"I'm gonna get you a glass of water." Kiba said. He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Hinata alone with Akamaru.

She stared around in fascination.

The Inuzuka had chosen warm, orange lights for the entire place, lending a cheery glow to the small yet cosy home he'd made for himself. A slim television stood against the wall while two other beige couches flanked the black couch Hinata sat on, forming a U shape. Over the polished wood floor he'd laid a lush black, faux fur rug.

The entire layout was simple but homely.

Akamaru came to sit on her feet, his nose pushing into her hands. Hinata rubbed his head vigorously, letting her fingers run through his silky fur.

"Here," Kiba sat beside her and handed her a glass of warm water. Then he dropped two pills into her upturned palm. "You need to take this twice a day."

"Alright, Doctor Inuzuka."

He grinned as she downed the pills. Hinata leaned back against the couch and appraised him with soft eyes, the silence between them suddenly becoming charged.

"Kiba," She murmured. "Thank you for bringing me here."

He drew in over her.

"There's nothing to thank."

One hand of hers found itself clasped in his hand, and he lifted it to kiss her palm, gorgeous whiskey coloured eyes meeting hers in an electric gaze. Kiba pulled her onto his lap gently, so that she ended up with her hand over his heart again, her nose to his nose. Beneath her palm, his heart stuttered and picked up pace, his broad chest radiating heat through the shirt he wore.

"I thought we had this talk before." The Inuzuka breathed over her lips as she stared down into his handsome face. His hands were on her hips, his thumbs stroking her skin beneath the hem of her shirt.

Kiba could be outwardly expressive, outspoken, brash, reckless and wild. Everyone had seen that side of him. They had also seen the protective and responsible Sheriff Inuzuka who dedicated himself to tamp down crime rates in Wolfwater and make the town a generally safer place. This side however, was one of the rare sides he preserved for just her, during the time they had been together. This Kiba was tender and serious, his wildness restrained just for her, all gentleness and intent on persuading her to swing his way.

She briefly wondered if he'd spoken to any woman like that, but brushed the thought aside.

"Hey," He murmured. "Talk to me, Hina."

She cupped his cheeks. "We've spent seven years apart. Y-you might need time to adjust to me. And.. what about Kiyomi?"

He stilled and released a whoosh of breath.

"It was our third date. I was bent on getting you out of my mind, with dismal results." He said hoarsely. "She's pretty and sweet yeah, but I was forcing myself to go out with her when it was clear it didn't feel the way it should. It's like eating for the sake of filling your stomach, trying for the sake of trying. Kiyomi's great but...the pieces didn't fit."

She looked down at his collarbone and traced the line of the bone beneath the taut, tanned skin. "H-how...should it feel then?"

"Intense." He said quietly. "Searing. Like what _we_ had. With you, I'd found someone who could accept _all_ of me. Warts and all."

Hinata laughed huskily, but was unable to meet his gaze despite his mischievous tone. Her cheeks were crimson.

"We were so different, but hot damn, we were good together. Not just physically Hinata. We were a _team _then, don't you realise that? It was like... like you _got _me. Really got me. Who I was, who I was going to be."

"You get me too." Hinata whispered.

"I thought I was the luckiest bastard alive when I managed to get you out on a date. I honestly hadn't gotten a blip of hope at all, seeing as how...rough.. and coarse I was. I _am_." He corrected and grinned softly. "After all, why the heck would a pretty girl like Hinata Hyuuga want to date Kiba Inuzuka? You have no idea how many people whispered that all the friggin' time."

"_No_," Hinata argued. "The girls were all fighting to go out with _you_, Kiba."

He raised an eyebrow. "Huh. _Really_? Anyway, I couldn't believe how smoothly things progressed. I thought you'd be frightened off by me at some point in time - I never thought we could stick out for so long. One, I was never good with words and you need someone to tell you in all the flowery glory of love poems, how much you mean to him every day. Two, I'd always imagine you with someone more suave. Someone who could buy you a string of three-hundred and fifty thousand dollar pearls to put around your neck and diamond earrings the size of grapes."

"I don't want those," Her face was comically indignant.

"Thank god you don't." He grinned. "Or we'll have to live in a shack."

She laughed and swatted at him playfully. Warm brown meshed with snow-white eyes.

"But my point is - " He paused. "You're _everything_. You're my best friend. My confidante, my partner, my _lover_. Sure, any woman could fill _one_ role from that list, but it would be hollow and meaningless. There's not one woman on earth who can be all that to me, y'know. You have my heart damn it, and it's already yours, whether you want to have it or not. It's always been yours for the keeping. I was too afraid to face up to this notion when you left, but when I thought about you under all that fucking debris and realise that I might not have the chance to tell you this, I swore I wouldn't waste time by holding back and hiding my feelings or try to bury them."

"_Kiba_." Her voice wasn't hers - it was broken and sobbing. He hushed her and gathered her in his arms, nose buried in her neck.

"Yes, we spent seven years apart," He murmured. "But if you think about it, we have a lifetime ahead of us to make up for that." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Are there still any reservations in your head?" He asked huskily. "Bring them out. I'll exile them for you."

She laughed and hiccuped, gazing down into his deep-set eyes. The moment unfurled slowly, exquisite tension blooming between them like a blood-red poinsettia in winter as her laughter faded and silence floated down over them.

"Kiba," She murmured, settling more against his lap. "Will you make love to me?"

When he spoke, his voice sounded rough. "You just got out of the hospital. You need to rest. Recuperate."

Hinata felt her lips turn up in a smile. The dear man sounded as though he was trying to convince himself precisely that. She could see that familiar hunger in his eyes - the kind that made his sinfully dark eyes turned a shade darker, with thick lashes half falling over it.

"I've had enough of rest." Hinata leaned down and shyly brushed her lips against his, rubbing circles on his chest with her hands. "Two days in bed, doing nothing but sleeping and eating." She kissed him slowly, carefully, lingering on his heated lips, angling her head to fit herself against his mouth.

He groaned into her mouth, hands coming up to cup her head.

One of her hands drifted lower, her fingers skimming over his zipper lightly. She felt him thickening beneath the thick material and her breath stuttered.

"Jesus - _No_ you haven't," Kiba growled, grasping her wrist with his long, callused fingers and pulling her away.

Hinata gave a little sigh. "Alright."

She touched his nose with hers, regret shining in her eyes.

"I'm just going to take a bathe. I haven't had a real good bathe in what seems like ages."

Kiba looked as though he wanted to crawl out of his own skin. "Sure," He said gruffly. The Inuzuka showed her to his bathroom after Hinata had gathered her toiletries from her duffel bag, his gaze not meeting hers.

She took awhile in the shower stall, rinsing and scrubbing methodically beneath a layer of foam and soap suds, her mind working even as her arms scrubbed of their own accord. Even after her break with Kiba, Hinata had abstained from flings or casual hook-ups. It held no allure then and now, for she wasn't the sort who could partake in something without being serious or overthinking it. She had also been too busy devoting her time and energy to her career to think about such matters.

But she wanted Kiba _now_. He was under the same roof with her, for Kami's sake, looking so good. They were both willing, and they had generally sorted out the tangle of emotions that had plagued them when she first returned to Wolfwater.

There was just one very familiar problem - Kiba was restraining himself for fear of getting her hurt. Physically of course. The silly man didn't know it, but he could never hurt her.

She rinsed out the soap suds in her hair and those on her body thoroughly, mouth quirking thoughtfully.

The Inuzuka had always been cautious, gentle and restrained with her whenever they got intimate or where locked in a lip-fest. Although... she had once unlocked his inner wolfishness before and that had required-

_Hm._

She stared at the soft, navy blue robe hanging behind the white door, then at the johns and comfortable sweater Kurenai had thoughtfully packed for her in her duffel bag.

She smiled, then dried herself and the long, wet tendrils of her hair as thoroughly as she could with a thick towel. She pulled on the blue robe, cinching the belt around her waist in a loose loop. Hinata bit her lip. She looked _comical_. The material fell to her ankles and swallowed her frame, since it was Kiba's and was obviously larger in size.

Well there was nothing she could do about that.

When she stepped out, she found the Inuzuka in the kitchen, heating up a couple of grilled cheese and ham sandwiches. A plate of chilled onigiri sat on the stand-alone granite-topped island, while Akamaru sat near his master's heels, looking hopefully at him and then at the onigiri.

"That smells good," She commented, padding barefoot into the kitchen. Kiba turned with the sandwiches and almost tripped over Akamaru, who stood up excitedly, watching the sandwiches on the plate.

"Holy crap, Akamaru-"

He paused, and Hinata didn't miss the way his nostrils flared and desire lit his dark eyes. It was doused however, by some unseen thought that popped in his head, because he tore his eyes away from her and glanced down at Akamaru.

"Go sit somewhere else, buddy," Kiba said, nudging the white canine with his bare foot. "You're not getting any of those."

The dog merely went to Hinata, licked her feet energetically and turned onto his back to show her his large belly. She bent to rub it and laughed as he panted excitedly. The dog eventually sat down near the island and settled his chin on his front paws when Hinata moved to join his master.

"C'mon. You must be hungry." Kiba said, pulling out some bar stools.

"Um hm," She murmured, coming to stand near him, leaning her back against the counter to face him. She could feel the heat and tension radiating from his body as the sleeve of his robe brushed his arm. "I am hungry. But it's a different kind of hunger altogether."

She took his hands and tugged it near the belt around her waist.

"Hinata," He warned, but his voice sounded rusty.

She had pulled apart the gap of her robe using his hands. The belt gave way, and the fronts flapped open easily. For all she knew, it could have been summer outside: the way Kiba was staring down at her with barely controlled lust could have fried an egg on the spot.

A delicious flush skittered all over her skin as she waited for several seconds, her nipples puckering in anticipation for his touch, but it didn't come.

His jaw ticked, and he braced one hand against the top of the island, near her forearm instead, careful not to touch her.

"I thought you brought clothes with you into the bathroom." He stated, sounding as though he had swallowed sand.

"I thought it would be easier like this." Her voice hitched as he lifted one hand and cupped one full, breast topped with a tight bud.

"Damn right you are."

"Kiba," She whispered to him, her fingers sliding over the nape of his neck, her mouth almost touching his. "I want you so much."

He groaned. Easing the robe off her shoulders, they let it crumple into a heap onto the floor. It fell on Akamaru's nose and covered his eyes. With a snort and a disgruntled look, he stood, shook his head and plodded out of the kitchen after seeing that he wasn't going to get his paws on the snacks.

"God," Kiba groaned, hauling Hinata against his body. His lips descended over hers in an urgent kiss, one hand coming to cup her neck, his thumb on her cheek. It was as if a dam had broken, unable to contain the surfeit of lust and desire he had been concealing behind it. Hinata twined her arms around his neck, pressing her naked length against him as Kiba's free arm caught her by the waist. A soft, heady moan left her lips as she became aware of the seductive friction the roughness of his jeans and the heated fabric of his shirt provided against her bare skin.

He plundered her mouth greedily, tilting his head for a better angle as he teased her mouth and tongue in voracious strokes. Kiba's hands found her rear as he slid them down her sides. Cupping them, he squeezed and relished in her breathless gasps as she ran her hands over his broad shoulders in a feverish reply. He felt as hot as a brick, like a toasty heat generator on a chilly morning.

"Mm. Take off your shirt, please."

Kiba kissed her mouth. He pulled the dark fabric over his head and tossed it over his shoulder, but before Hinata could admire the sight of his muscled torso, he bent and took one creamy mound into his mouth, sucking and teasing hungrily, one big hand at the small of her back and another one on her hip, to hold her still.

A startled gasp left her lips as she felt the humidity of his hot wet mouth closing over her breast.

Hinata arched her back, trying to pull him closer as his tongue swirled repeatedly around the pebbled peak. She felt her hips grind against his crotch instinctively as a clawing ache of desire balled up tightly in her abdomen and accumulated with each lick and nip. His arousal fit neatly against the apex of her thighs, her mound rubbing instinctively against his jeans, the friction driving her crazy.

"More, Kiba," Hinata shivered in pleasure when his teeth scraped lightly against her nipple. "Y-you don't have to be gentle," She whispered. "Let go, Kiba."

If she thought he was rough before, she was wrong. The man turned positively savage at her words, sucking her breast hard until her back arched beautifully, her fingernails digging into his tanned skin pulled taut across hot, hard muscles. A few raw moans ricocheted off the kitchen's ceiling amidst the sucking and licking sounds as Kiba lavished greedy attention onto her other breast, leaving the previous one slick and flushed red. The sensations he evoked across her skin with his hot tongue was utterly exquisite and so pleasurable, Hinata was of no mind to control her sobs and pants that were escaping her lips.

She felt his fingers reaching down and brushing lightly at her clit, coating his fingers immediately in viscous wetness. He lifted his head from her breasts, deep, dark eyes swirling with unsated lust, hair sexily tousled from her fingers.

"You're soaking wet."

Hinata slid her fingers over the nape of his neck again and kissed him. "F-for you."

"Hell _yeah_."

Hinata felt Kiba slide one hand round her waist again as his finger slipped gently inside her and stroked, his forehead almost touching hers. She inhaled deeply and fought a mewl at the intrusion, her grip on his shoulder tightening while she kissed him with long, lush kisses. Their eyes met in that instant, one milky white and drugged, the other dark and intent. She ran her hands down Kiba's torso ridged generously with muscle, admiring the dark, satin skin pulled tight over powerful muscles. Her eyelids drifted to half mast as she felt him beneath her palms, the heat branding into her skin. She allowed her fingers to drift to his jeans, unbuttoning them with shaky fingers.

Then she unzipped the zipper over his straining erection while the Inuzuka brushed his mouth over hers again and again persistently, until she was drowsy with lust and distracted from her initial task. Hinata chuckled at his antics and ducked from his roaming mouth to concentrate on his zipper instead, scolding him softly beneath her breath.

Kiba chuckled huskily. He leaned down to kiss her neck, nuzzling into the soft crook where her neck met her shoulder while rubbing her bottom with his hand, murmuring soft, incoherent words of encouragement.

A rumble came from deep within his chest, heat vibrating against her shoulder when she freed his cock from his boxers. Hinata's fingers wrapped itself around his thick, hot shaft. The result was a low groan, as though he was in pain. She trailed her hands to its very tip, where a tiny bead oozed out from the slit. Trembling, she spread it over the head of his cock with her thumb and felt Kiba inhale sharply, his body stiffening.

"God." He muttered into her flushed skin, eyes falling shut as she caressed it shyly. "Stop. _Jesus._"

Kiba pulled her hands away from him. He looked like a kid who had unwrapped his presents before Christmas had even arrived, dark eyes were gleaming with wild hunger. "I need to be in you now."

Hinata nodded and smiled breathily. "Yes. _Yes._"

He released her and scanned the kitchen quickly. Then grabbed his jeans, pulled out his wallet and retrieved a square silver foil. After seizing his shirt with condom in hand, Kiba scooped her up quickly, her legs dangling over his arms, and stepped around the island.

"Where-" Hinata asked, looking confused, her arms instinctively coming around Kiba's neck.

"Bedroom. You'll be more comfortable."

* * *

><p>Kiba settled Hinata onto the dark sheets of his bed, admiring the sight of her fair skin against the contrasting colours with feverish eyes. After spreading his discarded shirt beneath her rear, Kiba hovered above her on his palms, showering her breasts with ardent kisses and suckles, shifting his big hands on her waist to hold her down as she wriggled. A heady moan from her shot straight to his groin. He was as randy as a teen, damn it all.<p>

Beneath him, Hinata watched with pleasure-filled eyes as he slid the condom over his stiff cock. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she tried to hold him close but he lifted himself on one elbow and stared down at her with reverence and awe, brushing the back of his fingers against her breasts and her curves. There was a dreamy pink blush staining the fairness of her skin... and he suddenly remembered how she once blushed like this, when they were intruded upon by an elderly couple during a heated make-out session in a secluded garden. A smile tugged his lips.

"I haven't forgotten this." He said, gazing deep into her eyes, running one hand down the sides of her curves that had driven him wild once upon a time and found the warm, wet slit to her body. Her lips parted. "So fucking beautiful."

"Hm," She murmured, her eyes desirous, her hands resting on his chest. "Y-you look very good yourself."

He grasped his cock and teased her with its head by rubbing it over her clit. Her face contorted in desire and she squirmed, hands brushing over him, trying to guide him into her.

"Don't tease me, Kiba," She begged. Her voice was soft and cultured, but it almost sent him over the edge with her pleading tone. "Please. I w-want you in me." Her eyes almost shy, she reached down and held herself apart with her fingers.

Holy shit. His Hinata, offering herself to him so willingly, so freely. Hinata, who loved him beyond all sense, who even left town because of him. And here she was, naked in his bed, telling him to take her.

With a growl that sounded almost animalistic, he lunged over her and slid into her in a thick, luscious glide. They groaned together and almost brought the walls down. Mostly he groaned at the incredible feel of her hot, wet and clenching tight around his bare cock, her body full and lush beneath his hard one.

"Fuck." He hissed, eyes falling shut, trying not to pound into her like a beast. "My god- I -_ god._"

"It's alright." Hinata soothed him, stroking the rise of his muscled back with her hands, kissing his forehead, his nose, his lips. "It's alright, Kiba." How ironic that she was telling him this now. It was a role reversal. He was the one to always soothe her and tell her he would make things better when they had been together before.

"You're so tight." He could only say sluggishly.

Hinata kissed him again, lifting her legs higher so that she cradled him perfectly, at an even deeper angle.

A thought occurred to him. It was not exactly the most opportune moment for such a thought, but Kiba couldn't stop himself from asking her.

"Hinata. Tell me honestly... were you with any other man during the past seven years?"

Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a soft smile that nearly did him in. "No."

"You were celibate?" He asked hoarsely, even as she tried to wriggle her hips in an effort to get him to move. His heart almost stopped beating.

"Yes," She touched his tattooed cheeks.

"My god. So was I, sweet." He pressed his forehead against hers and took her mouth in a soft kiss. "I couldn't bring myself to. To sleep with other women."

"Oh," She said softly, closing her eyes. "I don't blame you even if you did, Kiba. When I left you, I didn't expect you to abst-"

"That doesn't matter," He said. "What matters is _this_."

He slid his hand between her shoulder blades and flipped them over so that she straddled him. Startled, she clutched at his muscled biceps, the tips of her hardened nipples brushing his chiselled pecs.

"Kiba?"

"Want you on top." He murmured, kissing her jaw. On top of him, she looked flushed and beautiful, her white eyes half lidded, dark hair in a soft tangle around her face. "Take me. I'm all yours." He murmured, scooting back against the pillows. Once he settled comfortably, he urged her to move.

Her eyes dreamy, one hand braced on his thick shoulder, Hinata lifted her hips and sunk down experimentally on him, swallowing him fully. Their moans mingled together in an erotic symphony, echoing in his bedroom. So incredible was the friction that Kiba fought the urge to thrust up and fuck into her repeatedly to seek his own release. Instead, his hands wrapped around her waist, guiding her as she rose and then sank down onto him with aching slowness, her full, firm breasts bouncing tantalisingly before him.

_Fuck._ He tried to think about crime statistics during the festive period and Shino droning on about them, but Hinata destroyed his fight for self-control when she gave a breathy sigh near his ear and kissed his cheek chastely.

Her hips started to roll with an uncontrollable momentum as she succumbed to the waves of lust crashing over her, the need to assuage the ache building low in her abdomen. It was the sexiest sight he'd ever seen, and it nearly drove Kiba insane. Her luscious, round breasts bounced in time to her movements as she rode him wildly, head thrown back, her body shiny with a sheen of sweat. He felt her small hands had gripping his shoulders tightly, digging into his skin. A growl escaped his lips. There was no doubt his skin would bear small, crescent shaped indents later.

Not that he cared.

Kiba reached up, both hands grasping her breasts as she swivelled her hips again. He felt the pleasure building, coiling, like a snowball rolling down a hill. With each roll and movement of her body, he felt his body stiffening, his cock near to exploding.

"I love you," He said, sitting up fully. He grasped her neck and gave her a hard, long kiss, the other arm secure around her back.

"Oh - _Kiba_."

Hinata tore herself away from his mouth, her cries high and loud, baring her fair column of throat to him. His name was drawn out in the sexiest two-syllable word he'd ever heard escape her lips and her back arched in a beautiful arc, breasts thrusting out against him. Her pearl white gaze met his shining with an intoxicating mixture of delicious pleasure and stunned ecstasy as her orgasm exploded within her. He roared and snarled and growled when she sank down to the hilt and he felt his world shatter, his vision whiting out as he felt his cock pumping himself into her. Hinata's body seized him in a greedy, tight hold, milking him urgently as Kiba pounded up into her like a beast, his arms around her waist.

"Oh _god_, Kiba!"

He seized her tight and buried his face in her neck, body shaking under the influence of his powerful orgasm.

Long after his body had sated itself and his cock had been stripped of fluids, Kiba felt Hinata collapse atop him, her body soft and languid. Soft kisses were placed all over his chest.

"Holy fuck." He swore as he sat up and cradled Hinata in his arms. For a moment, he stared down into her dazed eyes as she rested on palm over his heart.

"My god." He rasped, moving to drop a kiss on her lips and her shoulder. "Now _t__hat_ was worth the wait."

She smiled and turned her face into his chest, suddenly shy. For a moment, they stayed like that, heaving in each other's arms, until Hinata made a sound and lifted herself off him carefully, trying not to soil his bed covers. He held onto the bottom of the condom so it wouldn't slip off. Chest rising and falling rapidly, he made to wipe away at her nether regions with his discarded shirt, but Hinata took it from him instead and shook her head, her cheeks red.

They took a shower in his bathroom which involved several more toe-curling and mind-blowing sex. They eventually curled up together naked in bed, with Akamaru snoozing in a corner of Kiba's bedroom.

"I can't believe you're here with me," Kiba murmured quietly as she rested her head on his shoulder and traced invisible patterns on his broad chest. Hinata pressed her lips to his clean, heated skin, the comforter slipping around her bare shoulders.

"Neither can I," Hinata said softly, her eyes tender as she raised herself to look at him. "Thank you for pulling me out of that debris. For finding me. For still loving me."

"_No_," Kiba growled, tumbling her over so that she was beneath him, her body warm and soft. His fingers slid between hers and they clasped each other's hands, palm to palm, gazes meshed together.

"_I_ should be the one saying that, sweetheart." He pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "Thank god you came back. Thank god you had the courage to find me despite knowing how fucking _tough_ it was. I'm never letting you go. Not without a goddamn fight, you hear me, Hinata?"

She nodded and smiled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"And no more walking out of my life just like that," He said huskily.

"Never," She promised, slinging one leg around his hip.

Heat flared and kindled in his dark brown eyes, but no one could mistake the fierce love that burned within his gaze. It reached into her, touched her, and branded her heart in a quiet, inexorable hold as he slid into her with hushed awe.

And in the lush, burning heat of his incredible love, Hinata knew that the Inuzuka felt exactly the same when his pupils dilated and he emitted a raw, broken groan.

She had found him, just as he had her.

* * *

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